Christmas

Nana and Papa came to celebrate Christmas with us this year.   They arrived in those feverish days of preperation befroe a big event and we put them straight to work.   

Papa worked hard fixing our bathroom door so that Charlie couldn’t push it open on unsuspecting users.  He also did a good job of keeping these slippers warm.  Come on, someone had to do it!    Charlie worked hard keeping us entertained.  Here he is discovering the resonant capabilities of cookie tins—very fine indeed!There was lots of baking to do.  Here is Stollen Bread  and dinner rolls just out of the oven.  Mama and Nana made cookies and learned a new meaning of the word fastidious…..…hmmmI spent the last few evenings before Christmas trying to get some last-minute elving done.   This was one project that I did not finish.  My grandmother made hand-stitched felt appliqué stockings for each of us grandchildren growing up.  I made one in a matching style for Jonathan several years ago and wanted to get one done in time for Charlie to use this year.   Alas, it only got this far.  (felt cut out but not stitched)  Christmas eve, I drew up a quick train in washable markers on the lining and that’s what he used this year.  Hopefully by next year there will be two stitched up and ready to hang.  Whew!  

We waited until Charlie was in bed to put the presents out under the tree.  It looked so pretty!

Christmas morning came early this year!   And it was not because of Charlie!  Jonathan and I were woken by Nana and Papa knocking on our door a little before 7.   (Jonathan was so sleepy and out of it, that he answered the door in his boxers.)  I had talked with Nana, and I thought we were going to call them to come over as soon as Charlie woke up and she thought we had decided they should come over early so they could be there when Charlie woke up.   The misunderstanding turned out to be pretty funny, but only after we had all had our first couple sips of coffee!  Charlie blissfully slept though it all until  7:30 or so.  Then we all went in and wished him Merry Christmas, and told him to go look at the stockings.  There is nothing like the excitement of young children at Christmas!  He was so surprised!  He was so pleased by his new toothbrush.But best of all, there was a baseball in the toe or the stocking!Then we made breakfast.  Here’s that Stollen, sliced and buttered and ready to toast in the broiler.   SOOOOooo good! Meanwhile, outside it was doing this…..(It was so nice to know none of us had to go anywhere that day!)While we cooked breakfast, Charlie and Dada played with his new baseball the only way you can when you are in your pajamas and there is snow outside….by rolling it on the floor. 

After breakfast, we celebrated Advent for the final time and lit the Christ candle.  We kept all the candles lit for the rest of the morning.  

Then the presents began….My new love and joy….Send me your Dutch oven recipes, one and all, because this is the only pan I am cooking in for at least the next three months!  Charlie made presents like this with fabric oil pastels for all of his Grandparents.  He colored on scarves for his grandmothers and handkerchiefs and ties for his grandfathers.  The gifts turned out a little kooky, but I really wanted him to have something that he could tangibly participate in, to give to them.  I liked seeing how proud he was of what he had colored for them!    Nana even knitted a sweater and cap for our baby girl!  You can’t see it very well in this picture, but the buttons have beautiful butterflies on them.   I think I’m going to like getting to dress a little girl!  Charlie kept acquiring little bits of paraphernalia throughout the morning.   He was pretty funny looking by lunch time. 

Merry Christmas!