Christmas 2013, Part 2

After a morning at home enjoying some new toys on Christmas Day, it was off to Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Rahns.  We enjoyed a little time there with everyone before we had to hit nap time, and then it was off to Grammy and Popper's house.  It was a little hard this year since we were missing Great-Grandpa D, but Popper bought us all matching hot pink shirts to wear in his honor.  Real men wear pink, right Gramps?  

Cutie patooties!

Iz loves cuddling with Callie

What?!?  Santa left presents at Grammy's house!  A new table and
chairs complete with a Rapunzel tablecloth.  And a toddler toboggan!

Popper was in charge of stockings and hit a
home run with these Rapunzel sunglasses.  

Iz and Aves trying out the toboggans.  If they're half as fun in
the snow as they are on the carpet, then we are in good shape!

A twin jogging stroller (perhaps to accommodate some real-life, old-school, 1985
Cabbage Patch dolls!  Mint condition!  Mommy was maybe more excited than she
was.  Ivan and Georgia--Ivan the world traveller in Russian costume and Georgia
the pig-tailed redhead reminiscent of Mommy's baby Amanda.  Sigh.  Like a dream.)

And she's done with the Christmas thing.  "Mommy.  Wook at my yegs."

Dropping some beats the next morning.

A princess chest full of dress-ups from T and J!

Yes, please. 

Obviously Aves needed help.  There is now officially one pound of difference
between these two.  Soon to be besties now that Aves is on the move!

Trouble!

When we asked Izzie what her favorite Christmas present was that night, she said, "Jesus's birthday." Schooled.  You're 100% right, Iz.  But you're a pretty great part of it, too, sweet girl!

Christmas 2013

                            

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Little Miss Isabel was sick the few days leading up to it, so we were a little nervous that we would be spending all of Christmas quarantined at home.  She was feeling much better on Christmas Eve, however, so although we skipped Christmas Eve service (major bummer for Mommy!), we headed over to Nana and Grandpa's for some family time.  

Carter showing her the finer points of the iPad.  (Check
out his face--she must have hit the wrong button!)

Finger lights?  Yes, please.

She kept opening presents that we couldn't put together.  So I begged Daddy
to put the castle up.  Turns out it was harder than it looked (3 grown men working
on it at one point), and MUCH larger than Mommy realized.  But Iz loved it!

Auntie Brittany said she wouldn't care about one of her presents because it was
just clothes.  But Iz opened it, grabbed the skirt and ran screaming into the castle
trying to rip off her pants and put the skirt on.  Good work, Auntie!

Then we went home and got ready for Christmas morning.  As we read stories and were almost ready to go to sleep, I nonchalantly said "Santa will come tonight and you'll have presents in the morning."  She sat up straight in my lap, ripped her binkie out, and said "Who dat?!?".   So, after another Christmas lesson, she was satisfied and went to bed.

Santa brought an easel, a baby car seat, a princess couch
and a stocking full of giant plastic bugs and a rubber snake

A little nervous about the paparazzi at the end of the hall

She pulled her bugs out of the stocking and said, "Look, Mommy!
A grasshopper!".  Smart little peanut.  Then Mommy had to embarrass
herself by not knowing the names of the rest.  Three beetles in one bag--
who can tell those apart!

Cheese!

The easel was and is probably the favorite.

Who is the big girl?!?

Putting together her workbench from Nana and Grandpa.  "Some assembly
required" are Daddy's new curse words.  But she loves it!

Giving Mommy some love.  What a sweet girl!
(She now hugs and says, "I love you much!")

The Goose is Getting Fat

Christmas is almost here!  Preparation and celebrations have been underway at the Rahn house for almost a month.  This is my MOST FAVORITE time of year.  The Christmas tree is up, lights are on the house, Christmas books are read followed by Christmas carols at bedtime, presents are wrapped and under the tree...ahhh.  I feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins as I type.

Munchie has been busy getting ready for Christmas herself...

The fun started at the arena in November with a Christmas tree display...

We could not get enough glitter on that tree!

Isabel's objective during the gingerbread house project was to
eat the materials faster than Mommy could put them on the house.

She's reading the sign.  It's important to get all the information
before you vote on your favorite tree.  It's only fair.

Mommy decorated the house, and then it was Izzie's turn to pick out a tree.  The excursion to Hobby Lobby to buy one was (almost) as magical as I had hoped.  At first, she very decidedly picked out a pink foil tree.  And a white fur tree skirt with silver ornaments.  Wow--but her choice, right?  It was all in the cart, and she went into a full on, overly dramatic, emotional teenage girl meltdown.  "Put it back!" (sobbing)  "Put it all back!  Tree goes there!  I no like it!"  It seems her opinion changed quite suddenly.  After a small hiccup with a silver foil tree (what were we thinking?!?) we were happily finishing our shopping with a normal green tree and a lovely assortment of colored ornaments.  Whew.

It took everything in me not to direct the decoration of her tree when we got home (are you sure you want all of the ornaments "Up there" at the top???) but I succeeded and she has been very pleased with herself.  She was quite jealous of the (ceramic) Rapunzel that Mommy bought for her big tree, so some quick thinking and a Little People Rapunzel now snuggles in Izzie's tree.  Whew again.

The Christmas books take the cake this year.  We love "Spirit of Christmas", "One Night in Bethlehem", and "Song of the Stars".  But this year's ultimate favorite is "How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?".  I bought it for her after her love of dinosaurs has continued to grow (they are doing a dinosaur unit at school and she can't get enough), and she giggles every time we read the book.  I think we read it three or four times the first night we had it.  We pretty much read every Christmas book once a day.  We only get to enjoy them for such a short time--we have to get our money's worth!

Love at first sight

Some Mickey Mouse Christmas with Grammy

One stop to Trader Joe's this weekend and finally, our house is complete (who are we kidding--I could never have enough Christmas decorations?).  I fell in love with this little baby tree (and the sassafras pushing the cart--doesn't she just think she's the cat's meow?) and had to go get one.  After our Trader Joe's stop, it was off to Scheel's.  Izzie and I spent 15 minutes wandering the hunting section (ew!) looking at all the "reindeer" hanging on the walls.  She was so distraught when we left that we put on a Discovery channel show about reindeer racing in Russia to appease her reindeer appetite--make fun all you want, but she was glued to that thing!

Some of my favorite Christmas conversations...

(While reading a book with a picture of baby Jesus and Mary)

Iz:  "That he Mommy."

Bryan:  "That IS Jesus' mommy.  Her name is Mary."

Iz:  (laughing)  "Mommy's name Allie."

(Here Comes Santa Claus is playing on the radio in the car.)

Iz:  "Santa Claus?"

Me:  "Yeah, baby.  Do you know who Santa Claus is?"

Iz:  "Yeah."

Me:  "Well, Santa Claus loves Jesus so much and wants everyone to know about Him, so he celebrates his birthday by bringing presents to everyone!"

Iz:  (moment of reverent silence)  "I yike presents."

So, the merriest of Christmas wishes to all of you!