Christmas Confessions: Hoar Frost, Christmas Wowzas and Paper Plates

 This was our world two days before Christmas....
Hoar frost everywhere.
I love it.
Every blade of grass,
every twig and leaf,
every every thing
is frosted over.
As the sun rises,
the world is all glittery,
even magical.

The moon was still out that morning--

which sparked the child in me with wonder.

I don't care about the science of it all,

the logical reason and fact,

it's there

and its beautiful.

Have I told you lately that I love Colorado Springs?

By Christmas Eve,
the frost was gone,
and we were left with
warm, sunny weather--
35 degrees warmer than last year!
I ran up to Loveland and fetched Dean--
who was so so so excited to come home
for the holidays!
He was beaming and yammering
all the way,
and of course, offered to drive for me
should I get tired.
It did my heart good to put my arms around him
and breathe him in,
considering what happened after Thanksgiving.

We had the sister missionaries over for dinner--
we brought out the nice dishes,
made prime rib and crab legs--
laughed and giggled as we pried open the crab,
and before we knew it,
the day was over,
and I was in my room,
wrapping gifts--
in between knocks on my door
from anxious children
"too excited to sleep".

This is the first year
that Joseph,
 knowing the myth of Santa,
wanted to help wrap gifts.
I couldn't let him.
I told him why.
When I was his age,
and I finally knew,
I BEGGED my mother to let me help her
wrap gifts--
she tried to put me off,
but I wouldn't have it,
so she relented and I loved wrapping
all of my brother's gifts,
then placing them under the tree.
I went to bed excited.
But come Christmas morn,
I was not as excited--
I knew what was beneath each box and bow.
The magic was missing,
and it was missed.
I didn't ask the next year,
to help wrap the gifts.

So I told Joseph my experience,
and we compromised:
Once the gifts were wrapped,
we let him lay a few under the tree
and he happily went to bed.

What's wrong with this tree?
Why, half the lights up and quit during the season, that's what.
There's a metaphor for my life there,
I just need to think about it long enough.

So, everyone who knows Me
and knows Daisie,
knows the battle that has ensued over a cell phone.
She has whined for one
for as long as I can remember.
Especially since she got into high school.
But I haven't wanted her to have one
because I've felt that it wouldn't be healthy for her
to not have my parental barrier
to protect her.
I know how stupid teenagers are,
and I wanted to be sure Daisie was mature
for that barrier to be removed.

So, after much deliberation between Mr. W and me,
we got her a phone.
She had no idea.
But being the rotten parents we are,
we took the phone outta the box it came in,
and wrapped it,
then hid the phone on the tree.

 "Wait! What the heck?!"  (notice Diana--she's getting ready to dial the new phone number)

"Whah?  No phone?  You guys are cruel!"

:::Cue the phone to ring:::

Nana: "Uh, that's for you. Better get it."

The money shot.

The yahoos rec'd new stockings this year,

seein' as how we can never seem to put them 

all back in the holiday bins every year

and one is always missing.

 The Boofus wearing his climbing harness and holding his "Mountaineering Bible".

We're finally past "Legos" and action figures! Yea!

"Smile, Dean!"

"Bee, show us your harness!"

(it's even purple for girls!)

And here's Mr. W's new harness too--

I'm amazed that he's so excited to get the kids into this,

as he's going to be 55 years old in 2011!

My dad didn't lift anything beyond the remote control

at this age.

Just goes to show, 

having kids when you're older

can keep you young too!

Ahhh the Wii....

and just a FYI--

the yahoos have been playing it

NON-STOP

since Christmas Day.

It's been a blast to have them playing together,

squealing in laughter and defeat,

and I will say it was the perfect gift

given at the perfect time--

they're at the ages to really enjoy it.

As for the Spiritual Gifts--

this year I did something different.

I wrote each child a letter

regarding "their" scripture--

the scripture I "gave" to them on their baptism day.

The letters were well received,

and a few tears escaped our eyeballs.

I may make this a new tradition,

because as each child read their letters outloud

after all the other gifts had been opened,

it was a tender moment to be remembered.

So Christmas Confessions:

*I did not make cinnamon rolls for breakfast,

but Dean brought some for us, premade, 

and that was great!

*We didn't go carolling this year. At All.

*We didn't make cookies for our neighbors,

but we did run a danish ring over to the neighbors

whose yard our entire trampoline blew over into

a couple days before--Panera Bread makes great danish rings.

*My Visiting Teaching sisters' gifts are still sitting in the front room.

*I forgot to buy Mr. W a Christmas gift--

beyond a box of chocolates.

He was cool with that, though, 

ensuring I shall keep him another year.

* NO Christmas cards were sent out. In fact, they weren't even bought.

* I joined an ornament exchange, and only after I rec'd one in the mail,

did I realize it was a handmade ornament exchange. ( I suck at that!) So I ran to Hobby Lobby and 

made an ornament out of a silver bell with black velvet ribbon looped through it,

then promptly forgot to mail them out!!!  So, if you're reading this,

and sent me an ornament, know that I will get that bell out to you this week,

hopefully before you put your tree away. And I'm sorry.

* Our family was a Secret Santa for another family and we loved it!

And finally,

We ate off Paper Plates on Christmas Day.

True story:

we had 3 Christmas-themed paper plates left,

and I found 3 birthday party paper plates in the pantry,

then Nana offered to get out plastic forks too,

and I thought, "why not?"--

afterall what is a paper plate without a plastic fork 

to enhance the whole "casual dining" experience?

We had a honeybaked ham and salads and

Marie Calendar made the pie!

The clean-up was a breeze.

I'm not gonna lie,

I was a happy mom to be outta the kitchen

in less than 15 minutes

so I could take a nap!

N' that was Christmas 2010!
It was magical and fun,

silly and sweet.

What about you?

Any Christmas Confessions you wanna share?