We stayed in Wisconsin and had a wonderfully relaxing, low-key Christmas this year. Here are a few of our favorite memories from the season:
- Sharing in Katelyn's first Christmas.
- Crafting, baking and gingerbread house making.
- After a 20 year hiatus, it was great to watch Rudolph and Frosty and experience it through the eyes of a child who was seeing it for the first time.
- Looking at Christmas lights as Allie pointed them out (der some lights, der some more lights) and directed Alex on where to go so we could see more of them.
- The shock and amazement on Allie's face when Santa rang our doorbell and came to our house for a visit.
- Allie's love for the movie, The Polar Express. She was first introduced to it about a week before Christmas and then wanted to watch it every day thereafter.
- Reading Christmas books at naps and bedtimes during the month of December. Allie especially loved Frosty the Snowman. As we read, we'd pause at various points throughout the story and Allie would fill in the blanks. So adorable!
- Listening to bells jingling, as Allie pulled them off the Christmas tree and carried them around all day.
- Alex and I's relaxing trip to Galena, IL, the weekend before Christmas. Great food, fun entertainment, relaxation, and most importantly of all, couple-time!
- The utter chaos of Christmas Eve mass, both leading up to it (2 screaming children who refused to nap), and during it. Just as the service began, Allie proceeds to tell me she needs to go potty. Her and I crawl over people (thankfully we were sitting by friends), make our way to the bathroom, lift up the dress, pull down the tights, position her just so on the potty, only for her to tell me she doesn't have to go. (I think it's her goal to tour, but not use, every public restroom within a 5 town radius). We then spend 10 minutes standing in the back of the church waiting to return to our spots so we don't have to crawl over seated people. We finally return to our row, Allie returns to her seat, only to have Katelyn handed off to me. It seems she blew out of her diaper while Allie and I were in the bathroom. So Katelyn and I make our way to the bathroom, I get her positioned on the baby changing table, riffle through the diaper back, only to find there are no wipes inside! Needless to say, for me, the Christmas Eve church service was mostly spent in the bathroom. I'm sure God understands though.
- Allie's middle of the night, 1-hour long conversation, on Christmas Eve (more like early Christmas morning) which covered random topics, including, but not limited to, pizza, Santa coming, and finding Katelyn's pacifier (apparently she though it was missing).
- The shock on Allie's face when she came downstairs Christmas morning and saw presents under the tree.
- Watching Katelyn push the buttons and stare at herself in the mirror while she played with one of her gifts.
- Seeing Allie and Katelyn interact with one another Christmas morning. Allie unwrapping Katelyn's gifts, Allie showing Katelyn what was in the package, and Katelyn staring at Allie with adoration as she went about these tasks.
- Allie's obsessively neat (very uncharacteristic of our child) way of unwrapping gifts. All the paper had to go in a pile before she would even consider looking at/playing with her present or moving on to another.
- A last minute, spur of the moment, decision on Christmas day to leave the turkey in the fridge and go out to eat instead.
- The calmness and warmth that surrounded us this Christmas day. Outside, the streets were empty, the ground was covered with snow. Inside our house, the four of us sat, watching movies, playing games and enjoying each others company. There was no where we had to be, and nothing we had to do. Our cups runneth over....
