Planted and Blooming: all I want for Christmas is a chest X-ray...

Merry Christmas from Texas!

So let's see...after sleeping for the entire day on Christmas Eve, recovering from one very nasty stomach bug, I decided I was feeling good enough to head to 4pm mass with the littles. (Of course, 20 weeks pregnant, not having eaten a thing in 24 hours, 3k people in a church, standing room only, incense burning, that all seemed like a great idea at the time. And I have a degree in planning. Right.)

So we got all gussied up and used the new tripod to take a family picture. It came out gorgeous of course. Lucy having just thrown a massive tantrum, Molly shoving goldfish in her mouth - we clean up great!

Kissed a little in front of the tree, grabbed the kids and dashed out the door! Mass was completely chaotic and packed. I sat behind a column on the floor reading If You Give a Pig a Pancake until both legs fell asleep, and then Mo and I took a walk to the bathroom to stare at a fellow mama while she used her "BOOOOOBEEEEEE" to feed her wailing infant. Molly loves breastfeeding. Better than the cinema.

We then traveled to Target to pick up a few items, frozen pizza included, and hurried home to get our cranky little crumb-crushers to bed.

Daddy got everyone into their "softies" while I whipped up some cookies for Santa.

Lucy was actually generous enough to give up her "before bed" milk for Santa - and believe me, as he was watching Love Actually and eating a dozen cookies, he thoroughly appreciated the sacrifice!

The tree all ready for Christmas morning.

Both girls slept til about 7am, and woke up confused and shy. Andrew and I were all excited, but it took a little doing to get them in the holiday spirit!

...until Mo saw her new baby. Once she realized baby moved her face and sucked on a paci, all bets were off. Santa Claus really IS magic.

Lucy worked into things slowly...

...while Mo approached the Sit-and-Spin like an ape who's been given a milk jug with a quarter in it.

We thought maybe starting Lucy off with "The Gift" would be enough to get things moving in the right direction...

...and we were right. She about lost her mind when she realized that she wasn't on the Naughty List this year. Proof that first-borns really do have fun but once a year!

In addition to Mo's "real baby," Grandma and Grandpa C gifted them with an easel. So far we have chalk and magnets everywhere, but they're loving the opportunities to draw at will...on everything...but really, what can you do but encourage these things? Talent must be nurtured! (And that's why we rent. Far easier to nurture talent when you've paid a security deposit instead of a down payment.)

Molly got a ball. Can't you just see her ticking off all the opportunities for breaking things? Island candy bowl...check. Nativity set...check. Candles in master bedroom...check. Guest bath soap dish...check...

They opened a few more gifts and then we gave them their gifts from Mimi and Papa. Talk about confusion.

Molly was just about hornswaggled over a board book the size of her peers. She thought it was about the neatest thing in the world.

Everytime Lucy glances in the general direction of the books, she throws a look like, "You're got to be kidding me - who makes a book that big!?" It'll be so nice to have them once the Christmas toy fever settles down and they can actually open them and look at all the pictures. Grandma Susie and Grandpa Dick had these same books out at the farm and boy, did they get some use!

Mimi and Papa also sent the Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection for the girls to start watching, and Lucy was just enthralled by the Sound of Music today! I had completely forgotten that it takes three hours to hide a family of nine from the Nazis, so Lucy was a little bored after all the "fun" music was over. I think tomorrow we'll tackle State Fair. (Does anyone else hear the title and think, "Our state fair is a great state fair, don't miss it, don't even be late!"? Could just be me. Usually is.) She loves Oklahoma!, but I think we'll hold off on Carousel - talk about depressing. Nothing like getting knifed at a clambake to remind you of your mortality.

Molly also got a set of chunky trucks, and she's been "errrrrrmmmm"ing them all over the house!

Here is my handsome man, proudly showing off his new game of Risk. Silly boy is so psyched about beating me. We're going to play tonight - I chose the red guys cause I think the color of blood will subconsciously intimidate him. Yes. I'm a warrior.

Andrew gave me a bee-yoo-ti-ful jewelry set - "cause I know you like turquoise and everyone makes fun of you but you don't have any turqouise jewelry and I'm just trying to encourage it and I'm a good listener!" He's such a cutie. I dig it. So does Molly. She spent most of last night pulling on my earrings and saying, "Peeeeedy....wiiiiiite??"