Christmas 2016

The highlight of my Christmas was spending time with family, especially my newest nephew!  Let's blog-name him, shall we?  We accidentally have a food theme going, so Baby Brisket it is!  Anyway, Baby Brisket is perfection - snuggly, soft, adorable, and has that fabulous newborn smell.  Since I'm an adoptee genetic island without any family resemblance before nor aft, it is crazy/amazing/wonderful to see a tiny clone of my brother.  (Wouldn't trade my gorgeous non-clone children for anything though, of course!)

Day 1:

At Aunt B's party, while I was marinating in Baby Brisket goodness, Spork got busy drawing a snowman and leading a raucous parade.

Tater reunited with uncles, cousins, and possibly ate nothing but potato chips and Aunt B's famous butter cookies.  And the Nugget (not captured on film) somehow mastered playing "We Three Kings" on a toy accordion.

Day 2:  

A glorious early morning with a solo trip to World Market for mama and then splashing with our little swimmers in the hotel pool!  The Nugget has a serious love for hot tubs.

Delicious taco soup at Grammy and Grandpa's and hanging out with Aunt E and Uncle N.  Aunt E generously let Tater play with her Samantha, while we looked through a crusty old Caboodle full of "treasures" from our youth like plastic sunglass pins, a t-shirt clip made from a seashell, and single clip-on earrings.  

Then off to introduce my kids to Milk & Honey.  Spork asked 3 times if we could come back here every time we visit, and he's determined to eat a banana split next time.

The Nugget was slightly panicked by the vast quantity of ice cream on his rootbeer float, but he managed.  We threw our sugared up children into their church clothes and made it to the most crowded Christmas Eve Mass I've ever seen.

Day 3:

Sparkling grape juice for the Nugget in a wine glass at Aunt K and Uncle J's Christmas extravaganza!  Toys everywhere, "A Christmas Story" running on a loop, cousins laughing and chasing each other hysterically up and down the stairs, cheesy potatoes and plenty of wine.  Maybe the best Christmas ever.  Except for Daddy, who had to put together the Nugget's robotic hand, ha!

Day 4:

Movie time! We met up for "Sing", then lunch at Burntwood Tavern (thumbs up for the fish sandwich, thumbs down on the chicken parm, and I want a date there so I can sit in a tent!) and SkyZone.

Bean was determined to sit next to the Nugget and watch him Minecraft away, and Tater wanted to color with Cabbage, so we swapped kids for lunch with pretty good results.  I got to sit at the boys' table!