Christmas Fun

We have had a very busy few weeks around here, just like everyone else I'm sure.  One thing I didn't do too much of this year though was baking.  I just wasn't into making the batches and batches of cookies like I usually do.  Here I am with the boys making my one and only batch of eggnog sugar cookies for the year.



My cookie decorator decided to help himself to a few while he was supposed to be working.



It was fun this year because Rex finally understood the whole Santa thing.  Even better was that we could now use that as a way to get him to behave a little better for a few weeks anyhow.  I only got a few photos of the boys in their matching pajamas on Christmas morning because as soon as Rex saw his new Curious George shirt in his stocking, he took off to put that on and the cute Christmas jammies were over.

Opening stockings and playing with one of the many new Handy Manny toys-


Playing with the new train table from Santa-


More Handy Manny toys (that is Felipe in Wyatt's hand)-


Modeling the new Curious George shirt I mentioned and his brother's new Cars sunglasses-


Opening more presents-


Almost done-

It took forever to get all the presents opened.  Every birthday and Christmas I think, "Okay- now is the time they are finally going to just tear into all the presents and it will just be a present frenzy."  Still hasn't happened.  My boys like to open something and then play with it.  And then after a while, maybe they'll open something else.  Maybe not.  It is tiring and takes so long.  So you will probably notice the still unopened packages on the shelf behind the couch which sat there for quite a while.  They did manage to get everything opened by lunchtime I think but I stopped photographing at this point because I was over it.  We cooked a beef tenderloin for dinner which was fantastic and just had a fun and low-key day at the house by ourselves.  Although we did miss our families a lot, we got to Skype with quite a few people which helps.

One strange thing about our Christmas was not having any snow on the ground.  Our winter has been so bizarre here.  I think it has snowed just twice and both times it was very little and melted quickly.  We have lots of highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s.  It has even been in the 50s this week.  I ran out to get the trash can at the curb today with no shoes or jacket on and I was totally fine.  Normally I think my feet would have frozen to the driveway if I tried that at the end of December.  I imagine our good fortune here with the weather will run out eventually but we are enjoying it as long as we can get it!