Christmas 2011!

This was our most fun Christmas yet.  The kids, especially Jack and Anna, were old enough to finally get the concept of Santa.  They loved all of the hoopla of the holiday, and it was incredible to see it through their eyes.  For the first time, they participated in the countdown.  They loved our ornament that tells us a different thing each day about Santa's preparation, and they especially loved the adventure of trying to find Twinkles, our resident Elf on the Shelf, each morning (and who met a tragic fate in our air conditioning vent, but was stealthily replaced after a trip to Target). 

Thomas and I are definitely Christmas people.  We can't wait to decorate and listen to Christmas carols, and of course, buy presents.  We tend to overdo it, just a little.  But, we try to keep in mind all the wonderful things that Christmas represents--we make charitable gifts, we talk about Jesus' birth, and it's impossible not to get swept up into the joy of the holiday.  We also try to make sure our kids know everything is not about them.  We have them pick out presents for other people, and they actually really enjoyed seeing us unwrap the gifts they picked out.

Christmas Eve we made cookies and watched The Santa Clause.  We let each kid choose the best cookie for Santa, and put it out with milk.  We also sprinkled some reindeer food on the lawn.  Then, it was stories and bedtime.  Oh, and we laid down the Christmas morning ground rules--no getting out of bed until we came to get them in the morning (there was a bathroom exception).

The rule was not a big deal for our three, in fact I think they may have still been sleeping at 7:15 when we went in for them, but was torture for my 10-year-old nephew and 7-year-old niece.  I was actually awake on and off throughout the night, I was so excited to see everyone's reactions to their gifts that I couldn't sleep.  Everyone got what they wanted from Santa: Kara--another Mr. Potato Head (actually, a Toy Story themed set of potato heads); Jack got his sled, and Anna received her jewelry box and "jewels".  They each got some other individual gifts, and then there were several addressed to the "Wilson Children," like a castle playhouse, and a large pop-up house, along with some smaller things like Play-doh and paints.

Thomas is very creative when it comes to gift giving.  He has yet to disappoint me in our 9 (married) Christmas' together.  But, this year he really went above and beyond.  He gave me a ton of presents, the best was a jar labeled "366 Reasons I Love You."  He handwrote 366 things on pieces of construction paper and placed them in the jar.  I get to pull out one a day starting on January 1st.  Among other things, he also gave me an early addition copy of my favorite book, Pride and Prejudice.   Hopefully, he was as pleased with his gifts as I am with mine.

The day flew by.  We had breakfast, and just enjoyed each other's company all day.  Thomas and I made the Christmas dinner.  My sister usually cooks for our family in Florida, so I thought it would be nice for her to have a holiday off.  It was a surprisingly calm, relaxing day.  The grown-ups chatted; the kids played with the occasional break to sit and listen while we read all of the (many) new books they received.  Unfortunately, my sister and her family had to leave around 4, since my brother-in-law had to be back at work on Tuesday.  It was really sad to see them go.  In fact, I am still a little sad and have felt their void these past couple of days.  It made me wish we lived closer to family. 

The tree right before we got the kids up.

Everyone getting ready to open their first present.

Me with the hat and socks Jack picked out for me.  Note Kara wearing her new backpack in the background.

More unwrapping.

Finally enjoying some of the mornings spoils.  I think they stayed in pajamas all day.

So far, the castle is a big hit with all three of them.

Definitely, our best Christmas!

The Wilsons (and Mottas) Storm the Capital

On Sunday, December 18th, my sister, brother-in-law, nephew and niece rolled into town.  I had been looking forward to their visit for months, and we had a lot of fun stuff planned.  It had been over a year (maybe closer to 2?) since we had last seen each other.  We definitely wanted to make the most of the visit.

On Monday, we went to Mount Vernon.  I loved it!  The house is the most amazingly preserved historical home I've ever seen.  For example, in the dining room, 8 or 9 (I can't remember which) of the chairs are the original chairs that were there when Mr. Washington died in 1799, the rest are from the time period, not replicas, actually from the time period.  Of the approximately 800 books in the library, 60 were physically owned by Washington, however, the other books are all titles he owned and from the time period.  His presidential chair, the actual one he sat in while president, was also there.  Knowing who some of the guests who were in that home (James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, etc.) well, it was just amazing to imagine the conversations that must have taken place within those walls.  The grounds were also spectacular, we saw a camel and the pardoned Thanksgiving turkey.  The outbuildings were interesting as well.  I really felt like the place portrayed an amazing glimpse into history, both of our first President and a wealthy plantation in the 1700s.  We weren't able to spend much time in the visitors center, although we did see the infamous dentures, which were far more sophisticated than I imagined.  They had a nice children's area, that the kids loved.  Unfortunately, Jack did set off an alarm in the museum part, climbing under a barricade and touching something (I can't remember what).  I was sure security would come running and toss us out, but apparently their security cameras showed them we weren't truly a threat.  Anyway, it was a fantastic day.

Thomas, the kids, and a camel

I wonder if the Washington's grand kids also enjoyed rolling down the hill?  After seeing how they did laundry, for the sake of the servants who would have been tasked with removing grass stains--I hope not!

Anna in period clothing in the children's area.

On Tuesday, we went to DC and toured the White House. Also amazing. It was especially nice to see at Christmas time. The decorations were beautiful and the entire floor smelled like Christmas.  We had quite the adventure to get there: we took the metro in, and were unable to transfer to the correct line. Another train had lost a brake or something and was blocking the tunnel--no trains in or out. So, they sent everyone to buses. We told the bus driver which metro we were trying to get to, and he let us off somewhere nearby--supposedly. According to Thomas' phone, it was 0.9 miles from the White House--a very long walk with 2 4-year-olds and a 2-year-old, especially since we were running late. We had less than 20 minutes to get there. We alternated carrying kids and they did surprisingly well and somehow we made it on time. After the White House, we walked to the Natural History museum, at a much more leisurely pace thankfully. The kids loved it.

I can't even remember how many Christmas trees we saw (a lot), but here are two of them.

 

And, at the Museum of Natural History

Jack taking a break after all that walking.

Wednesday, we went to a flea market and hung around at home. It was nice to see the cousins playing together. Thursday, we went to the St. Clements museum. Also fun. My sister and brother-in-law went out that afternoon for some quality alone time, so that night Thomas and I took all the kids to a local farm that has an amazing light display. They all loved it.

At the farm.

Friday, my sister and I went out to lunch with no kids--very nice! We, well I, did some last minute shopping and then Thomas and I had our date night. Saturday, we did lots of baking. And Sunday, of course, was Christmas--which I will have to write about later. The kids really want me to go take a "nap" in their new playhouse.


Dads assisting with cookie making.



Christmas Christmas Time is Near

It has been another Weekend Extravaganza at the Wilson house.  Actually, it has been a week-long extravaganza, with more to come.  But, it is time to start getting some of this down before time gets away from me and I forget to memorialize all these wonderful moments.

Three years ago, we lived in Norfolk. We were there for 2 years and by far our favorite things were the zoo and the botanical gardens. We especially loved the Botanical Gardens at Christmas time, when you can drive through and view the most amazing light display ever. In one part, it is like you are under the ocean, then in the sky, another area is choreographed to music, there are giant spiders, and light arches. It is simply amazing and we loved it. So this year we decided to take a trip back there. The last time we went through, Jack and Anna slept the whole time (in their defense, they were just barely past their first birthday) and Kara was still nestled in my stomach. We were hoping they would appreciate it. I am not sure if they did, but we still loved it.

We left for Norfolk on Thursday after breakfast. Our first stop was the Yankee Candle Williamsbug store, which is a minor destination in and of itself, followed by lunch at Olive Garden. We then headed to Virginia Beach and our hotel. After a free hotel dinner we went to the botanical gardens and then showed the kids the ships at Norfolk, many of which had put up lights. It was a very busy day. On Friday we went to a playground near the zoo and waited for the zoo to open. We were among the first (well, only) people at the zoo on that Friday morning. The animals were very active and it was fun. We saw them giving the elephants a bath, which we all thought was pretty cool. It also brought back some good memories. We went there many, many times after the twins were born. We can remember them taking some of their first steps on those sidewalks (literally) and it was fun to reminisce with them.

We grabbed lunch on the road and took the scenic route home (next time, we'll stick to the highways).  Saturday was a relaxing day at home.  Sunday, we made treats for our neighbors and delivered them.  Of the 6 on our street 3 weren't home.  1 invited us in.  2 seemed pleased with the treats.  So, hopefully, we have garnered some neighborhood good will.  It was nice to have the kids give things away without receiving anything.  Although, the neighbor who invited us in gave them beanie babies, thus partially negating that aspect.  We also did some housecleaning over the weekend, partially in preparation for our company--my sister and her family! Which, I think will have to be another entry.

Sometimes a cat is really a seal, but who am I to judge?

Kara, her cat, and Larry Boy

Certainly, all kids get things wrong.  Some words are just hard to pronounce and/or not memorable.  But, sometimes the errors are just endearing and even though I know I should, I just don't have it in me to correct them.  That is why my 4-year olds often call umbrellas "gorillas".  It is also why Kara is very attached to her toy cat, which is really a seal.  In the case of the cat/seal, it isn't just a mispronunciation it's a willful illusion on the part of all those she comes into daily contact with.  She received the cat, err seal, two Christmas' ago.  At the time, she wasn't even talking and when her vocabulary did develop, she knew what a cat was well before before a seal (all those trip to the Memphis zoo suddenly don't seem so beneficial).  At some point, she started referring to the seal as her cat.  At first we would gently correct her, "sure Kara, here's your seal."  But, the error persisted.  Then, I started to like that she referred to her seal as a cat.  It was very innocent and sweet.  "Sure Kara, here's your cat."  Jack and Anna then stopped correcting her as well, they just got tired of arguing with her, "it's NOT a seal, it's MY CAT". We all became duplicitous players in Kara's cat world.  At some point she will realize that it really isn't a cat.  Or, maybe she won't.  Maybe she will always look at that seal and see a cat.  She's happy, I'm happy.

Thanksgiving Weekend Extravaganza!!!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  Of course, every holiday is one of my favorites.  But, Thanksgiving is especially nice.  The weather is beautiful, you get to be with family, and when it's over, you still have Christmas to look forward to.  I worked in a deli for a few years in my younger days and we considered Thanksgiving the warm-up, Christmas the main event and New Years the cool-down.  Speaking of which, I can still put together a mean holiday platter.  Actually, I can't.  It's been like 10 years--what do you expect?  Regardless, for me Thanksgiving, while wonderful on its own, is also a great start to the most wonderful time of the year.

This Thanksgiving was especially nice.  We had some good friends visiting us from Florida.  They arrived on Monday evening.  Tuesday, we met Thomas for lunch, did some last minute grocery shopping at WalMart, made some candied pretzels, and just enjoyed each other's company.  Wednesday, they took Anna with them to see some sights in DC.  I didn't want Jack and Kara to feel deprived, so we had a fun day ourselves.  We went to the library for story time, then went on a walk around the Veteran's Center.  We came home, made cookies, read tons of books, and then met Anna and our friends in Waldorf for dinner at Chevy's.  Anna was happy to see us, but thoroughly enjoyed her day in DC.  She felt like such a big kid, being off without us.  In fact, she had asked our friends if they could stay the night in DC.  I have to admit, I really missed her.  All day long, I wondered what she was doing and if she was having fun.  Occasionally, I will take one kid to the store with me.  And, of course, Thomas and I have our date nights, but it is rare for me to spend an entire day with one of my children missing.  Although having two was easier to manage, I did not like her being gone. 

Thursday, of course, was Thanksgiving.  I made a cranberry jello dish the night before, but left everything else to Thanksgiving day.  There wasn't actually all that much, as we bought Amish pies and rolls.  Thomas is always in charge of the potatoes and he likes to get creative.  This year, he did a fantastic crockpot recipe.    We had turkey, ham, stuffing, mac and cheese, green bean casserole, rolls, and the aforementioned cranberry gelatin and potatoes.  Some other friends also joined us for dinner.  So, there were 12 for dinner.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture.  Lame, I know.  We actually all fit around our new, gigantic table.  I do have a picture of the empty dining room, so just imagine the table with 2 more leafs and 12 people sitting around it.  After dinner, we just sat around and chatted.  It was a beautiful day and the kids went outside, enjoying the company of our guests.  It was all very relaxing day I loved every minute of it. 

Since we had people staying with us who agreed to watch the kids, I convinced Thomas to go out for Black Friday (which was actually Thursday night) shopping.  We went to Walmart right around ten.  The place was insane!  I am not sure whose million-dollar idea it was to release some items at 10, and hold off on others until midnight, but I would like to shake that genius' hand--Not! The aisles were full of people waiting for the midnight release, which made getting around very difficult. Speaking of brilliant ideas, I brought in a credit card and my license, so I wouldn't have to carry a purse.  I promptly lost my license.  I realized it when I pulled out my phone to call Thomas (he was after a bike for Kara, I was after some Leap Frogs).  Despite an attempted search, I couldn't find it.  While I looked for my license, Thomas thought he was standing in line, but after 20 minutes, he hadn't moved.  I weaved my way through clothing racks and displays and saw there were very few people actually in line, it was just impossible to get to.  So, I somehow got back to Thomas and he was able to follow me to the registers.  We were able to quickly check-out and were back in our car by 10:40.  We got everything we wanted and I felt exhilarated.  Thomas was not quite as pumped.  He was willing to do more, but neither one of us really felt like hanging out for another hour plus for Target or Kohl's to open, so  we went home.  Thomas has vowed that was his one and only Black Friday shopping experience.  I enjoyed it, so I'll be out again next year.  My license never did turn up.  I am guessing it will eventually make its way to a crime scene, where I will be forced to explain how my license was found next to some unfortunate victim.

On to Friday!  We went to Kohl's to get a jacket I had wanted for a while.  I was wearing it around the store and set to buy it when Thomas pulled me aside and told me he had already bought the coat as a Christmas gift. That meant I got the coat early, and he has to get a replacement gift.  Win/win! We bought a few small things and then went with our friends to the Hearth and Home event in St. Mary's City.  We had never been to St. Mary's City, but it seemed like a nice place to take our out-of-town guests.  The kids loved running around and going on the boat and Thomas and I always enjoy a good historical outing. We also just enjoyed being with our friends.  Unfortunately, they had to leave from there to head back to Florida, so we parted ways.  On our way home, we stopped at a train store in Leonardtown and bought a train for underneath our Christmas tree.  After a short nap, we had an early dinner and headed out again, this time to Christmas on the Square in Leonardtown.

We got there right around 6pm and quickly got in line for the carriage rides, the wait was only around 15 minutes.  After that, we walked around a bit, particularly enjoying the Ford showroom with the model trains and other Christmas decorations.  The kids wanted to do the barrel rides, so we got in line for that.  When their turn finally came, they climbed in, only to be told it was parade time, so they would have to either get out, or agree to be in the parade.  The guy estimated it would be 20 minutes.  By this time, they had waited in line for a while, so there was no way they would agreeably leave the cars.  Plus, 20 minutes sounded fine.  We were hoping to enjoy the parade with them, but it seemed like an okay alternative.  Unfortunately, 20 minutes really meant 50, most of which was spent sitting still with tractor fumes blowing in their faces.  By the time the parade started, 2 of the 3 were crying and begging us to take them out.  We did take Kara out, but convinced Anna to stay (she was excited to wave at the crowd).  Then, Kara decided she wanted to do it after all, so back in she went.  Finally, the the parade started, then quickly ended, and we were able to get our kids back.  Anna was really pleased with her self, she said, "almost everyone waved to me."  We decided it was a good time to go home.  We saw Frosty on the way, which the kids enjoyed. 

Saturday we got our Christmas tree and then spent the weekend decorating.  It was a very long, very good, holiday weekend extravaganza.

This picture is just so Jack, I had to include it.  Anna was kind enough to lend him her umbrella, which he put to good use.

Making holiday treats with our wonderful friends Marta and Elizabeth.

All aboard, in St. Mary's City

The kids are there, somewhere.

Decorating the tree!

Our new, magnificent dining room.