Christmas 2008

Okay...so the posts are out of order...it drives me a little crazy, but it is what it is. I think it's fairly appropriate to post Christmas pictures on Easter day though, as I believe Christmas does not hold much meaning without Easter. Anyway...before I get all theological, let me just tell you about these photos. We had our first Christmas of just us at our home this year. I thought it might feel a little sad or lonely to be just us, but it was actually good. Don't get me wrong, I love to be with my family also and it would have multiplied the joy, but "just us" was more than enough joy. Tymaree joined us the day after Christmas. We were glad to have her. I roped her into making sugar cookies with the kids...muuhhahaha. She put on her happy aunt face and did her duty. I think she may have liked it a little too.
We all get to open one present on Christmas Eve. Its normally some sleepwear item....this year it was Snowman PJs for everyone. As Jackson was opening his, he said, "I hope its a toy and not clothes." I guess he's moved onto a new stage were the novelty of having a present to open is outweighed by the excitement and expectation of what is inside the package. I will say he laughed when he opened the box and found the PJs and was actually delighted when he discovered that we all matched. Drew really enjoyed eating the tissue paper. Christmas was right around the time he started LOVING the dishwasher. Like on crack in love. Like can't get enough. Of late, he's transferred most of the obsession to the vacuum cleaner. Delaney was the first to notice the GIANT trampoline on the back patio. During breakfast, she casually said, "We have a trampoline."
This year, Jackson and Delaney made presents for each other. Jackson made Delaney a sock puppet reindeer. Delaney painted a piggy bank for Jackson. It was very sweet to see their excitement in exchanging gifts. They chipped in together and gave Drew set of three plastic trucks, which Delaney promptly adopted and named - they are a family of trucks afterall and she loves families of anything. She has since agreed to leave the trucks in Drew's room, although I sometimes hear her hiding them (in his room) and saying "Oh the trucks are afraid of babies!" when she hears Drew coming down the hall.