Christmas Recap

All of my recent posts have been about recapping the last year, looking forward to what’s to come this year, and how to make 2012 the best year yet, but do you mind if I detour back to 2011 for a minute?  Because I would really like to share our Christmas with you.  I know you are thinking, “Christmas was nearly 2 weeks ago, live in the moment, lady”, but bear with me.

Christmas involves a ton of driving for us.  First, we drive to visit my mom and sister for Christmas Eve in South Carolina.  After celebrating there, we head to Atlanta to visit with Erajh’s family on Christmas Day.  The day after Christmas I head back to South Carolina to spend a few days with my mom.  Only to be followed up by a long drive back to Fort Lauderdale when the week is over.  Whew.  Add in the fact that we are 2 adults, 2 kids, 1 dog, and 1 cat in a very full sedan, and it is quite the trip.

Erajh and I both agree that we don’t want to spend the holidays in South Florida, but the “Christmas Shuffle” we attempt in order to see everyone can be exhausting.  Add in a dead car alternator when I returned to my mom’s on the 26th (which is the joy I got to deal with this year), and you have one chaotic experience.  Trust me when I say that the last word you ever want to hear a mechanic say is “Monday”, when you are at their shop on a Tuesday.  But in the end it all worked out, and we were able to make it back to South Florida just in time for the surprise birthday party I had planned for Erajh.  I kid you not when I say that we stepped out of the car and into his party.  So worth it to see the look on his face though.

Anyway, back to Christmas.  This year was amazing.  In the past, Greenleigh was only interested in eating wrapping paper and playing with boxes, but this year was different.  Greenleigh has no idea who Santa is, but she loves the toys he brings.

I soon learned that some toys were big winners,

Spontaneous jam session with her new Rockin' Elmo

while others were not.  She did eventually warm up to Rock n’ Roll Mickey, it just took a little longer than Elmo.

Rockin' Elmo was a hit, but Micky was not. He didn't even get fully unwrapped.

I also learned that the best present is the one that your sister gets.  Next year, I might intentionally label Greenleigh’s gifts “Hazeline” and vice versa.

Hazeline did get to play with a few of her toys though (after Greenleigh was done with them).

Since Greenleigh is now interested in toys, that left Hazeline to be our official wrapping paper taster.Oh, and do you see the legs/feet on the left side of the picture?  That’s Greenleigh.  She won’t take those shoes off now.  She’s worn them to daycare everyday this week.  I can’t talk her into anything else.  At least they are kinda cute.

And speaking of kinda cute, while we were in South Carolina we went to visit a friend of mine from high school.  Her family lives on a farm and has several horses.  I figured we would go out there and see if Greenleigh liked the horses.  Turns out the only one she wanted to get anywhere near was this one:Yep, that’s a stone horse!  She brushed it, bathed it, and talked to it, but she wasn’t getting anywhere near the real horses.  Maybe next time.

So those were the holiday festivities for us.  Is it wrong that I’m already looking forward to next year?