Besides the actual "dinner", we had spritz cookies, peppermint brownies, tiger butter fudge, sugar cookies, filbert snowballs, fudge pie, cherry cheesecake, mini brownies, and mini pecan pies. Apparently quite a few of us bakers weren't willing to give up the season yet! (Good thing I decided that any weight-loss resolution can wait until tomorrow!)
Our white elephant gift exchange was as usual filled with much thievery and conniving, all in the spirit of Christmas of course. It was a heated battle, and although I did not get the much-coveted Starbucks package, I was content with a quilted NOEL banner that Grandma has sewn and some matching serving platters. Chris was not quite so fortunate with his MnM's dispenser, but the children were delighted with that!
Then the kids received their gifts - I was thrilled to see that we would be carting home several more bags of STUFF to add to our tiny condo. :) Grandma made Gabi the sweetest little jumper with a dolly pocket on it. As soon as she wears it, I will post a picture as she is bound to look adorable in it! And Uncle Scott and Aunt Micheal gave the kids a Sesame Street town - which apparently is a set of three huge pop-up buildings to play in. The word "huge" here is NOT an exaggeration: when unfolded the buildings literally take up our entire living room! Which of course the kiddies thought was ingenious and wonderful and subsequently cried bitter tears when I attempted to refold and return the buildings to their carrying bag. Note the word "attempted" - it took me and one frustrated husband several attempts to refold the buildings and put them in the bag. It would not surprise me in the least if during the night I heard an exploding sound as the buildings burst out of their bag. We might just have to learn to live with a giant Hooper's Store and Bert and Ernie's house permanently camped in our living room. Maybe it would increase the real estate value of our place...
Anyway, it was a great day overall, especially when my over-tired and over-sugared children FINALLY stopped sobbing and submitted to sweet, precious sleep. And here I am, about to get under the covers myself when I realized I haven't figured out what specific goals I want for 2009. Oh well, tomorrow is another day (to eat chocolate!) before I make some important decisions for the future. Writer Chic's post on choosing joy has got me thinking...
It sounds like you had a wonderful time. But then, it'd be hard not to with all those delectable treats around;) I too have put off my exercise/weight loss plan til this coming Monday when things return back to normal.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Those pop-up play tents ARE so fun for the kids. I finally got rid of our last one recently, and you're right that they take up far too much room. But they're better than the huge box (really talking huge here) that hubby brought from work and sat in my living room for 7 days. It did NOT break down into a nice little bag, but the kids had a ball cutting out windows and decorating it. I just didn't have a living room for a while:) On the side it kept them very busy and I actually managed to get a few extra things done. Oh the sacrifices we make as moms. *sigh* :)