Hood Family Christmas

We had Christmas at my parents on December 24th.  We always meet there around 9 and eat breakfast together.  This year, we did bag omelets.  They were soooo good.  And, Karen always makes snowmen pancakes that are so cute.  The babies played while we ate.  Then, we added something new this year.  We did a little nativity with the children and my dad read the Christmas story…the REAL one…you know, from the Bible. ;)

Larkin and Abby were angels.Here’s our live nativity.  From Left to Right: Larkin and Abby (angels), Sydney (Mary), Jake (Baby Jesus), Trigger (Joseph), Campbell and Reid (shepherds)

We had to do some pacifying with m&ms.  I’m sure those were in the stable when Jesus was born. 

Do you see the star?  Trigger decided before the performance started that we needed a star so he went to the playroom at my parents and got some yellow playdough and a start cookie cutter and made the star.  My dad readingAnd, then, IT WAS PRESENT TIME….The kids were so excited and a tad overwhelmed!  The presents are EVERYWHERE…my parents are such giving people and soooo spoil our children!!!!Woody guitar…this is the #1 thing that Trigger wanted this Christmas so he was slightly excited to get it!!!!This was Campbell’s #1 thing “chuck the tumbling truck”And, yes, Larkin was there.  We made her wait to open presents until the boys…I manned Trigger and Matt manned Campbell during present opening.  Im not sure what we will do next year because Larkin didn’t care this year but I have a feeling that she will next year.  Stockings…I always love opening stockings at my parents because they do an awesome job filling them.  They find the neatest things to put inside!  Its like a ton of little treasures stuffed inside a little package.  SO FUN!Larkin got Minnie Mouse and some Toms.The grandkids with Poppy and Zizzy.

Saying Goodbye

Okay…I do realize how silly this sounds but I was a little teary eyed to say goodbye to Tinker and Tinsel.  The boys were really sad so it made me sad.  :(  Anyway, the elves left a note explaining their departure.  They said in the letter that Santa had lifted their magic for a few minutes so they could hug and kiss them and tell them goodbye!  So, that’s what we did.  I have never seen such excited children.  They LOVED getting to hold the elves.

Tinker was first…

I really didn’t know what Miss Priss would do with the elves but she grabbed the elf out of our hands and gave him a big hug…just like she does her baby doll.Tinsel was next.

I’m telling you…It makes me a little sad just looking at the pictures.  They LOVED looking for those elves every morning!!!!

The 23rd (part 2)

On December 23rd, we always go to my meme and papaws house in Sterlington.  To me, it is the official start of the Christmas festivities.  We all bring finger foods and we just eat those since we eat heavy on the 24th and 25th. 

Matt and his boysReid and Campbell (four months apart in age)  I bet they are going to have lots of memories together over the years!Larkin and Jake (3.5 months apart)…I’m pretty sure Larkin thinks he is her baby doll.  It seems like everytime we are around him, Larkin smiles and wants to hug on him just like she does her dolls.  Present time…can’t you remember as a child how long it seemed like you had to wait between dinner and opening presents.  I can remember begging the adults to hurry and eat so we could open presents….and it never failed that then they would want to clean up the kitchen or put food away or whatever…great anticipation!Zizzy helped Larkin open presents…I don’t think I really saw her open anything.  It was chaotic.Trigger and Aunt DeannaLarkin was in a stage where she would just lay out on the floor and roll around, relaxing, I guess.  See…she is hugging her baby doll! Larkin’s FIRST christmas.Zizzy, Campbell, and AbbyI realize that this is a horrible picture of me…but I had to show you Larkin’s thing.  She started this a couple of months ago.  She sucks her left thumb and sticks her pointer and middle fingers in my mouth.  That’s what she does when I nurse her.  Do NOT ask me why.  I’ll discuss more when I do her ONE year post.And, the WHOLE crew at meme and papaws.

OH..I have a funny story about what I have on…you can’t really see me in any of the pictures to see what I am talking about.  ANyway, I got dressed and walked into the playroom to check on the boys.  Trigger looked me up and down and up and down.  I was wearing a long sweater and brown leggings and cowboy boots.  He said “momma, why are you wearing that…you look like aunt deanna and zizzy.”  LOL…so we know that I obviously need to update my wardrobe…and that Aunt Deanna and Zizzy are a lot more trendy than I am.  EXCUSE me for my lack of trendy clothes…

December 23rd (part one)

We started a new tradition this year…not sure if we will really make it a tradition but here it is…usually the only gifts under the tree for our children (from us) are practical things like new tennis shoes, belts, pjs, etc.   This year I had bought each of them a toy…really there were two boy toys and they were both to “trigger and campbell”.  Anyway, we were told by some friends that they let their children open up the gift from them on the 23rd because by the time they get to christmas morning, they have been opening gifts for days AND santa presents total over shadow the parent gifts.  I thought we would give it a try.  So I let each of them open their toy from us….well, let me say this…miss priss got to open her toy because she was being sweet.  The boys had to wait a few hours for behavioral issues!  This was Larkins first unwrapping a gift experience.She was thrilled with her new tea set. Ha!Orrrrr…the boys were THRILLED with Larkin’s tea set.Then Daddy got to open his presents from the kids.  They painted him a picture!Trigger painted a picture of his daddy.Campbell painted a picture of a blue truck…with a red road.And after a few hours of working really hard to make good choices, the boys got to open their joint gifts.A mailbox (because they LOVE mail) and a hide and seek tiger game.

I like opening these early this year…we shall see if we do it again next year.  It will just depend on the present situation.