I was wound up with excitement for weeks and wasn't let down. For a while there in life Christmas had just become an excuse to get together with family. That's certainly not a bad thing, but it had lost some of the magic it had when I was a kid. With our boys, though, it's all back and more. The idea of seeing them find the living room full of surprises had me as excited as ever.
As I have for every Christmas in my memory, we went out for a nice dinner on Christmas Eve with my side of the family.
After Dinner we head to my parent's home to exchange gifts with family. It's difficult to keep two five-year-olds on their best manners at a nice restaurant with presents looming so close, but it's tradition and I had to endure it as well.
The favorite gift for Alan this year was a robotic parrot, a noisy thing given by the grandparents secure in knowing it was leaving their home.
For Brian, who was our big spender last holiday season, it wasn't anything expensive that he loved this year. After seeing Ratatouille, he became interested in restaurants, wanting to cook and taking the food orders of random people. So I made him a menu on the computer and laminated it. Costs << $1.00 but he hasn't let it out of his sight. 
He wants to call his Restaurant "Danes" because he misread the name of the grocery store Dan's, which was on his old menu, a newspaper insert.On Christmass morning I was thrilled to see their faces in the family room, but check this cuteness out, in Brian's closet once again. Brian had wrote letters to his stuffed animals telling them, if they needed him, he'd be in the kitchen. I guess he knew he'd get caught up in the excitement. They're becoming such a good readers and writers.
The big Santa surprise was:
Spencer and Harry, those are now their real given names too. Hope they're both dudes. Santa kindly brought me a bigger flash drive. Nevertheless, my favorite gift was the In Rainbows box set I ordered for myself in October but forgot about until it arrived last week.
Other than that, we've spent the last couple days putting together legos, puzzles, and playing games. We'll spend New Years in home too, doing the same until we fall asleep before ten. I'm happy, though, to give up that holiday for the sort of Christmas children provide.
(BTW, Thank you Java and Iwonder. I'll still be accepting gifts through Kwanza; I know many were too busy ;-))
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4 comments:
My inner-capitalist is sensing huge success for Danes. Especially once it expands across the pacific.
about the boy- The picture of the notes to Brian's stuffed animals, and the link to the tea party (or whatever those rounds of drinks were ;-) ) reminds me of my son Twitch. He was about Brian and Alan's age when the movie Toy Story came out on video. He watched it every chance he got. Then one day I found him on his bottom bunk, blankets hanging from the top bunk to protect this private event. He had all of his stuffed animals and assorted other toys gathered around and was conducting a staff meeting. I swear it was one of the cutest things I'd ever seen! Thank you and Brian for reminding me of such sweetness!
Playa “My inner-capitalist is sensing huge success for Danes.”
I don’t know. The menu is basically his favorite foods, from the banana and cottage cheese appetizer to the PB and J entrée. I mean, he’s selling a grilled cheese sandwich for $10.00!
Java “ the link to the tea party (or whatever those rounds of drinks were ;-) )”
Uppon further investigation, I was told it was also a meeting; he just served water for some reason. He told me his animals have to attend meetings so he can make them smarter… Now I feel reluctant to tell him when I have a meeting.
Thank you for sharing that bit too. Aren’t they fun? I have to admit I sometimes eavesdrop on their imaginative play for the cuteness of it.
Oh, with a name like Danes I thought the menu would be a little more canine-centric.
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