Christmas Time line

1205 : presents wrapped, we fall into bed, share a christmas kiss and bed down for the night

this is me totally burnt on knitting. but done. thank god.

300 : my parents leave for their early morning flight to holland, driven not by us, but by my willing-to-give-up-sleep younger brothers.

640 : boys wake in room, laughing and talking and literally giggling to each other, which is not the norm. Tim and I lay in bed laughing at their conversation.

705 : we go in to free them from their cribs and change them into christmas jammies. no, they did not sleep in them. that would be silly, what if they had an accident in the night?


722 : i start coffee and clean up from last night's kitchen shenanigans

728 : i decide to make this because what is better than eggs, cream, cream cheese, milk, cheese, and butter, tons of butter for breaky on christmas? especially for the lactose sensitive? just so you know, i used country potato bread as that is what the pantry held. not a bad substitute at all.

733 : unexpectedly early visit form santa on his fire truck interrupts prep and requires mad dash for shoes, boots, jackets and the like so we can see the big man as he goes by on the local fire truck. rain has obligingly stopped for the moment and boys see him up close. they are much more interested in the fire truck up close.


748 : casserole prep done due to amazing christmas sibling elves that helped with every step. husband leaves to grandpa's house to use his oven because yours truly still has a cold hole residing in her kitchen (So dramatic, eh, the broiler does work, just not the oven).


813: boys play with first gift opened, car legos, with all of their uncles and aunts who love them and help them scribble their greetings to all. we all gather round the new hearth, the mac, and tell stories.


915: casserole and grandparents arrive and we dig into the most sinfully delicious breaky casserole ever. make this. but only once a year.

952 : gift giving ensues with flurries of exchanges and the boys very quickly learning that when we hand them a wrapped package it has something they will really like inside it. this insures very quick unveiling of all their gifts. to the accompanying shouts of "car, trains, book and more, more more!"


1212 : after a long period of learning about train tracks and cars and ramps for cars and caramel and candy canes and joy joy joy! their little bodies collapse into nap time, exhausted but seemingly content.


133 : all the siblings decide on a snow play excursion and a second flurry of activity, procuring snow clothes and trying to keep them from slamming doors due to napping babies occur with a final grand exit into pouring skies and wishes for their fun and safe return.


210 : boys wake from a long uninterrupted nap and resume play with all items left on floor when nap began.

330 : siblings return with stories of horizontal sleet on the mountain, and they have photographic evidence. just not on my camera.

420 : fresh homemade tortilla soup simmering on stove top, fresh tortilla strips ready to be fried into crisp topping, watching the office and still in pajamas.

700 : dinner inhaled, dishes done by same christmas sibling elves, boys getting ready for bed.

907 : signing out for a few days to travel north to see our family in portland.

what a wonderful way to spend christmas day. hope yours is lovely and safe and close and all that you hope and dream of. mom and dad, amanda and isaac and kayda, dan and angie, when you read this know how much we love and miss you and wish to see you soon. this post is done for you.

and i think i shall always try to have christmas here at home, trapped by the weather but content anyway, surrounded by family and witness to the exuberance that this day should hold, should be. and yes, i know, never again will we be able to wait until 952 a.m. to open the gifts.