As is our tradition, we went to pick out a tree with Grandpa Robinson. This year we were joined by Auntie Jess as well. There was so much snow on the ground, we kind of wished we had brought our snowshoes!
Meo helped Robbie to cut the tree down this year. He is OBSESSED with tree cutters (ever since he saw a video of them at the Children's Museum) so this was kind of a big deal.
Decorating the tree is one of my favorite traditions. We always have cookies and hot chocolate (with homemade whipped cream, yum!) and listen to Christmas carols. We were needless to say a bit worried about having a tree up with a toddler and a kitten, but we took our chances. They actually did pretty well!
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| trying on a Christimas "stocking" |
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| trying to hang ornaments on the tree |
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| oh Moby |
Both boys love trains and Meo enjoys the Polar Express book, so we thought it would be fun to take them on a train adventure this Christmas. We bought tickets for the "Sparkle Express" the went from Freeport to Brunswick and back. It was a rainy, cold day but Meo had so much fun it was worth being out in the uncomfortable weather.
Meo was so excited to see the "Mr. Conductor" but was rather disappointed when he wasn't a dinosaur (he likes the show Dinosaur Train).
Link nursed on the train then passed out. So he didn't really get to experience any of our trip but at least he was cozy and happy.
They read the Polar Express and sang Christmas Carols on the train. Meo was captivated with looking out the window because he was convinced we were going to the North Pole.
The train ride was short and sweet. It was perfect for Meo's first time on a train. But I think next year we might splurge on tickets for the Polar Express out of Portland because I think it would be more fun and magical for everyone. After our ride, we walked down town and warmed up with some coffee and fresh donuts.
My mom doesn't celebrate Christmas, but enjoys getting the boys somethings in the winter. She got them some great gifts that they were really excited about.
The boys and I made gingerbread cookie, and then invited our friends Amy and Marilla over to help us decorate them.
Meo ate A LOT of frosting (it was homemade and delicious...this coming from someone who normally hates frosting), and enjoyed dumping as many toppings as possible onto his cookies.
Notice the tiny finger smears on Meo's cookies?
My mom got me a beautiful, wonderful ice cream maker for a winter gift and we have been loving making our own ice cream instead of buying it. WAY better for you, fewer ingredients, and so much more DELICIOUS.
Our friend Sarah hosted her annual Santa Play Date. Here the kids are able to meet Santa, as well as eat yummy snacks, do a craft, and play with all their friends they've had since they were babies.
Robbie got tackled and pummeled by balls by many of the children. They LOVED it.
This was our first year hanging up Christmas lights. We found these cute energy effiecient sugar plum lights that we were pleased with.
We invited our friends Amy and Marilla over again to make salt dough ornaments with us. We started this tradition of making ornaments with the boys fingerprints last year. This year we made snowmen.
Meo and I made "Elsa's magical snowflake" (from Frozen).
This year it was bittersweet hanging up the stockings. I really miss Pi and it broke my heart not having him here with us and keeping his stocking in the box. Moby also got his own stocking so it was sweet hanging his up for the first time though.
Robbie had a work party which we were able to attend thanks to Mema who babysat the boys. It was in a very fancy hall with an open bar and live music, and probably the most adult-like thing I've attended. We had a lot of fun!
One afternoon, we took the boys to see the trains they set up every year at the mall. They were selling some conductor hats for charity and we couldn't resist getting a pair for the boys. However, Meo insisted that Daddy wear a hat and pretend to be Mr. Conductor. Robbie was thrilled about this hehe.
Our very good friends hosted a cookie decorating party this year as are annual friends Christmas party and we were lucky enough to have Mema babysit again. I love being a mom and wearing comfy clothes and playing all day, but it sure is nice to get dressed up and go out to play with our peers every once in a while...like the good ol' days.
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| my cookies |
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| the start of Robbie's cookies |
I left the party a little early though because I had plans to get drinks with my dear friend Sarah then to go see the Nutcracker Burlesque together. Sarah and I had never gotten to hang out without or kids with us, and we had such a fun time! I'm so glad that she asked me to join her.
The Gosselin Christmas party was at the assisted living place my Pepere has been living at again this year. Poor Link had woken up that morning with a cold (just a runny nose), but knowing that he likely has cold induced asthma we feared bringing him out of the house. Also we didn't want to make anyone sick! We decided to make an appearance since he wasn't coughing and we only get to see this side of the family once a year.
Poor Link started coughing and we knew we needed to get home quickly. The poor guy started weezing on the way home and ended up needing nebulizer treatments for several days.
Mattimeo and I had fun decorating the salt ornaments we made together while poor sick Linky slept in his carrier on me.
Link still had a cold at Christmas time but was back to his happy, normally breathing self again.
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| is this a flying cat? Nobody knows |
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| attack from within |
I made some candy cane ice cream with our new ice cream maker for the boys to leave out for Santa. Of course, they needed to sample some, and it was a big hit!
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| "Link is trying to take my ice cream!" |
I took the boys to the Rocray Christmas party alone this year because Robbie was on call for work and needed to stay in front of his computer from 6 pm - 2 am Christmas Eve. We missed him but it was fun to see my family and spend time with them. There was a short period of time when somehow the children were in front of tablets. I'm not really sure how this came about.
Thankfully it didn't last all night and the boys enjoyed visisting family and playing with their new toys.
Christmas Eve.
Christmas morning.
The boys loved their stockings too. They got Winnie the Pooh and Piglet (from the first novel the four of us read together), a couple green cars, and some little figurines (Meo got donkeys for his farm).
The boys were much too excited not to open their presents right away so we let them.
Mattimeo got some cooking presents (a little rolling pin, some small usable utensils like an egg beater and rubber scraper, and a child's first cookbook), some sewing presents (threading buttons and spools, a sewing block), books about space, dinosaur presents (new Schleich dinosaurs for their collection and a dinosaur train book), some warm LLBean slippers (Meo picked them out), gardening gloves, and a bulldozer (the one thing he asked for).
Linky got some painting stuff (a finger-painting kit, paint tray, and foam rollers), books (some about snow and "Little Blue Truck"), a chime for yoga time, and some beautiful stacking blocks.
Robbie got much needed winter gloves, a nice flannel shirt, cozy LLBean slippers like Meo, a lantern for camping, and Super Smash Brothers for the Wii...a game he has been excited about for nearly a year.
Robbie got me a wonderfully warm LLBean flannel nightgown, some unmentionables, and some beautiful earrings.
The earrings are particularly special because he was given the gems (aquamarines; my birth stones) when he was visiting Iowa from his Grandpa. He then asked our talented metalsmith friend to custom make them into earrings to compliment my wedding and engagement rings. This was one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever recieved!
After our family Christmas we went to my parents house to celebrate with them and my brother and sister. We had my most favorite meal of the year: fruit salad, cheese and cinnamon rolls. Then we gave gifts to each other. This year I made a lot of our presents (wool dryer balls, knitted owl study mitts, ballet slippers and a ballerina bunny), so I was especially excited to give them. We also received overwhelmingly wonderful gifts including my first sewing machine, a flat screen tv (we had a huge box one until now!), LLbean sleeping bags for the boys, bird gardening book, Harry Potter movies, a functional wheelbarrel for Meo and more. We all feel incredibly spoiled and grateful.
Then we finished our holiday by heading over to the Robinsons for Christmas with Robbie's family. A couple very tired and excited boys took a long car nap between visits.
The boys were getting cranky from their busy holiday so we decided to start with opening gifts when they woke up. Once again we received some very thoughtful gifts. I think the highlight was when Meo opened a helicopter and tree cutter toy from Grandma and Grandpa. I seriously have never seen him so excited. He literally jumped up and down shouting "YES, YES YES! THIS IS WHAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED!". Like I said, the boy is obsessed with tree cutters!
Auntie Jess did not let us down with are amazing cooking skills and prepared us a delicious vegetarian feast. I find myself looking forward to her cooking over the holidays now!
How lucky are we to have to have such a loving family to share the holidays with? It makes me so happy to see how genuinely happy the boys are to be able to spend time with all their Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. They love playing with them so much, and Meo always talks about the fun that he had with them for days afterwards. Thank you all for being their for us, you may never really know how much it means to all of us to have you in our lives. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday spent with people they love as well.
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