Hello, Again

Whoa!  Where in the world have I been, all five of you ask? I guess you could say I was on a vacation of sorts.  I had a party to put together for Alex - a superhero party, no less - and Christmas to get ready for.  To be honest, I was afraid to write a post because I was afraid whatever I wrote about was not going to be very interesting to read.  I guess I have to remember that the thing about blogging is that you write what you feel, whatever you want to write about, and people will read it if they want to.  That is a hard concept for me to grasp I suppose. 

So...I guess since we just finished up with Christmas, I can start with that.  We had a good Christmas.  But, let me back up and start with Christmas Eve first.  Benny had one last fling swinging from the living room ceiling fan.  What a treat that was for the kids to wake up to!  And let me tell you - I was all about doing the Elf on the Shelf thing this year, but man it is hard to come up with something different for him to do each morning!  I am a little happy (on the inside) that he has been packed away until next year.  Adios Benny!

We put out milk and cookies for Santa and of course some carrots for the reindeer before we put the kids to bed.

Then it was time to wrap presents.  I have a love-hate relationship with wrapping presents.  I hate to do it, but I love it when it is finished. 

We have these special Santa bags that we put the kids presents in and I love them.  I remember after we had Alex just how special it was for me that our new "family" start some traditions of our own.  These bags will always be a part of that tradition and I plan to drag them out every year until they have holes in them.  I want my kids to always remember these bags and all of the special things that we do around the holidays.  I always want to them to remember what it feels like to be "home."   

(You can purchase the Santa bags here, although I think they are a seasonal item: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/santa-bags-new/)

Even at 33 years old, I still get so excited the night before Christmas.  Of course, when I was younger, it used to about the presents I would be receiving.  But now, I am excited for a different reason: for my kids' excitement.  It is so neat to me how, after you have kids, your excitement gets passed down, so to speak. 

So now, Christmas morning is, and always will be, so much sweeter thanks to them.