Christmas

After over four years of marriage and two kids, this is the first year we decided to stay at home for Christmas. It was a strange and wonderful experience. Strange, because we didn't spend any time with extended family, and wonderful because for the first time, we got to be Santa's helpers ;)

It was fun for me to really decorate our tree this year without feeling like it was a waste (because usually we are gone the two weeks before and the two weeks after Christmas). 

We were invited to attend a work Christmas party for Ernst and Young. It was at the Conrad, a swanky hotel in downtown Indy. This place had the most gorgeous light fixtures. Leave it to a girl to comment on the decor, but seriously, the lights in this place were like works of art. And the food, oh heavens. Don't get me started on the food. I'm not sure who catered it, but it was oh, so delish.

This was the first time we left Charlie with a sitter. I called to check on him after dinner, and lets just say that we didn't stay for dessert or dancing. I could barely hear my friend Heather over his wails. I was in tears all the way home thinking that Charlie was hungry and I couldn't feed him. The hour long drive home was torment, but when we arrived, Charlie was happy as a clam. Aye, aye, aye. 

The evening at the party was phenomenal, other than being served a healthy dose of mommy-guilt from my screaming child. 

On Christmas eve, we ate a roast duck at the Leavitt's house. It was fun to share a lovely dinner with our friends. When we got home, we promptly got ready for bed, and prepared the spread of cookies and milk for Santa. 

Jack was thoroughly concerned when he awoke on Christmas day to find the cookies and milk and been eaten.  

But all was well when he found his presents. First he opened his stocking and had so much fun pulling everything out. "Look! An ELMO!" "Look at THIS it's a SCHOOL BUS!".  It was the most fun I've ever had watching him get excited about the presents Santa left him. 

It's now February as I'm finally getting around to typing this and he's STILL talking about Santa Clause. He walks around and sings "Santa Clause is coming to town" or he'll ask about where Santa is... I wish that I wasn't such a slacker and had written about this earlier so that I could have remembered more of the cute details of the day. Oh well, better late than never right?

Jack and Charlie both enjoyed many presents from their Gramma and Grandpa! This ring stacker that lights up is Charlie's all time fave. 

Christmas was an amazing day. It was such a neat and special Christmas to us that I will hold near and dear to my heart for the years to come.