Merry Christmas everybody

Merry Christmas everybody.

We had lots of fun with our time off. The kids baked cookies and wore costumes...or ran around naked with screaming and hilarity.

Kiernan has had the unexpected lingering effect of spectacular farts ever since the Mirilax and he at least finds this very very funny.

I made more snowflake angles.

David and I wrapped presents and watched Guy Martin videos.

We decorated with lights and stockings and with Nana's help we managed to make the whole house smell like cookies.

Pax got a few new toys to exhaust herself with.

The kids took up dancing to varying degrees of success.

We delivered Christmas cookies to all our neighbors (and met a very sweet puppy).

Then in good old German fashion, on Christmas eve we opened presents.

The kids got this great arcade style basketball game.

It has been the hit of the house.

Megan calls it a point if she manages to hit the rim and the rest of us listened to the score keeper.

This was the Christmas of blocks. We had Lego's and Duplo's and Minecraft sets and no one has impaled their feet yet.

On Christmas morning we went visiting family and friends and Megan as usual outshone us all with extroversion and vim.

We spent the rest of the day assembling our presents and reading our books.

David got a raspberry pi which he immediately turned into a great media center.

I got a gorgeous cloak for the renaissance fair (From Aunt Licia) that I wore around and felt warm in. I only took it off when it was time to visit people and to cook.

Mom made us Christmas breakfast while we did stocking and then I made lunch.

We ate till we could eat no more. 

Aunt Lore joined us for both the Christmas eve and the Christmas day festivities. So we had a nice extended family feel to the day too.

The day after Christmas Pax had a vet appointment (she is too heavy and its time to take her off the puppy food and onto more walks). 

This is a day that always feel so melancholy to me. I remember the day after Christmas stretching back to Kansas Christmas' and to elementary school breaks and further. It feels hollow and achy and tired. This odd space between Christmas and new years, when you go back to work for a few days but get nothing done because every one is off on vacation makes me wish for school holidays.

I always take walks.

We took the kids to the park.

We went for a hike.

We roasted marshmallows and got a visit from Aunt Carolyn.

Megan of course almost set her hair on fire.

Over the holiday I have been able to spend some extra time with her. She is a force of nature and a joy.

She climbed all the things.

She wore all the dresses.

She ate all the sweets.

Kiernan hung out with his daddy.

Together we are planning out his amazing pinewood derby racer (Minecraft themed you will not be surprised to read.

He is getting extra snuggles.

We took advantage of the warm weather and the time off and went to the Soccerplex park in Germantown that we always used to go to.

David saved the day.

Now if only winter would come back and save the daffodils.