christmas memories part 1: words

i feel like there is so much to say and stories to share, but i don't have the space to share it all so i'm gonna streamline it here for you.

tuesday:

rolled into mansfield on tuesday about 6:30ish.  checked out the grandparents' tree and were super impressed with the train that went around the bottom.  found candy canes and tried to eat them with the wrapper on.  tested out the egg nog.  slade refused to sleep and stayed up until 5:30 am.

christmas eve:

everyone up by 9:30am.  jagger tries sneaking away presents all morning.  kelly rolls into town and adds to the fun.  chillax.  jagger gets into everything.  he escapes out the back door with cash in just their pjs and no shoes (don't worry, we caught them before they could get too far!).  corey & tom save the day and the sump pump with some fine ingenuity.  finish my scarf.  enjoy the blair traditional christmas eve meal (seafood, & i had chicken).  stuff ourselves silly and laugh a lot. hear some whale calling.  heh.  then it was present opening time.  

present opening time:

the kids make out like bandits.  the best gifts of the night were the oil funnels (for the kids) and the wii magic (for the adults, but kids at heart).  jagger definitely got the concept of presents this year and was all into it.  i love that.  cash and slade liked tearing the paper off too, but were very easily distracted.  jagger was right there to help out.  i'm gonna have to say i think i'm in love with the wii.  i know i have only known it for a short time, but there was a real connection there; something special between the two of us.  kelly, please bring the wii with you tomorrow so we can get to know each other better!  all gifts were a success.  thank you!

play some wii.  get quite a workout and break out a sweat.  ichat with savannah blairs.  load up the car with the goods and the kids and roll out of town.  just south of lodi, get a flat tire. 

christmas miracle #3:

so we get a flat tire and we have to unload the back of the van in order to get to the jack, when we realize we are missing the tool that lowers the spare tire down from under the van.  shoot.  now what?  take more stuff out of the car and search every crevice.  no luck.  sit in the van and contemplate what to do.  it's 11:30pm on christmas eve.  still trying to devise a plan when a semi truck pulls up behind us and a guy jumps out to offer some help.  checks his tools and tries a large screwdriver, which works!  he chats with corey while they're changing the tire and it turns out he lives right by us.  make plans to meet up with him and his family after the holidays.  almost cry with relief and gratitude when the tire is finally changed.

finally arrive home @ 1 am.  still need to wrap presents, but way too tired so plan on waking early to wrap them before the kids wake up.

christmas day:  

wake up at 8:15.  realize i made a big mistake and forgot to give the kids their christmas pjs on christmas eve so they could be wearing them christmas morning.  duh.  all that searching trying to find the perfect pjs.  i'll get it right next year (i hope) :)  wrap the presents.  slade wakes up @ 9:00 so we decide to wake up the other kids, change diapers, put on christmas pjs and go see the tree.  yay!  santa came!  open presents.  play with all the toys.  manage to break 5 of them before the day is over.  boy, these kids are rough.  call my fam and wish them a merry christmas.  make christmas dinner.  eat.  have seconds.  play with the toys some more.  take lots of pictures.  chillax some more.  put kids to bed.

a very successful christmas!