The Stockings Were Hung

Stockings have always been my very favorite part of Christmas morning. When I was younger, I loved admiring my plump and exciting stocking and then finally dumping it out. We had THE BEST stockings when I was growing up--stuffed full of little presents and treats and just burgeoning out the top. It was fun to wake up Christmas morning today and see that Santa still stuffs them full! I love sneaking upstairs to look at the tree and all the presents after Santa has come and gone--while it's quiet and cozy and the kids are not yet awake.
Merry Christmas! We had a fun, mellow and happy day--busy with present opening, treat-eating, xbox playing (groan), doll hugging, horse clopping, sledding (kids & Mike), and napping (me!). I love this time of year and I love my little family more than I can express.

Merry Christmas 2007
from the Hansons!
Isabelle, Mimi, Crystal, Max & Mike

Christmas Jammies

I had so much fun tonight wrapping presents! Each year Mike & I give the kids jammies, which they open Christmas Eve, and these are the presents I wrapped first tonight because I wanted to do them while I was bright-eyed and chipper. I know the kids will be jumping all over the place when they see them tomorrow, so I made the bows all fluffy and exciting. I've actually meant to get these under the tree much sooner, and Max asked me a few days ago, "Are you going to give us our Christmas Eve jammies?" to which I replied, "Well, I thought we'd skip the jammies this year; you won't mind, will you?" And he got big, wide sad eyes and said, "YES! I love Christmas Eve jammies!" Isabelle piped right up and was also outraged that I'd skip the jammies. I kept playing it like I had no jammies and I think they are sweating it a little. I was THIS close to not doing the jammies this year because I'm so stressed about money. I actually had no idea they liked this little tradition so much, but evidently it means a lot to Max, especially. He likes his cozy Christmas jammies. I think it gives Christmas Eve a special feeling and I hope when they are older, they remember getting them.

There are actually a few little traditions I hope they always associate with Christmas:
* Reading Christmas stories every night before bed, all cozy and snuggly together
* Lego advent calendars
* Gingerbread houses
* Nativity flannelboard story
* Watching Christmas movies together
* Shepherds Dinner (we'll be doing this one every year)
* Making Christmas cookies
* Buying gifts for their siblings

Doing things together at Christmastime brings a feeling of closeness that I want to try hard to keep in my house all year. I always make a huge effort to plan fun activities in December and to be together in a happy, positive way and I want to consciously foster that closeness in the ensuing months.



I have been thinking of our everyday "traditions" that will accomplish this. There are just a few basic things that are the glue of our life as a family, keeping our weeks consistent and predictable. Hopefully my kids will remember these things as family traditions as well. All through 2007 I made a firm commitment to myself to have Family Home Evening on Mondays--no matter what. I have such a testimony of Family Night and the subtle way it binds a family together and provides a venue for communication. Family Night is a tradition I think my kids will associate with their growing up years.

We also do Movie Nights together quite frequently, and my kids love it. We snuggle up on the couch or floor, build a comfy nest and settle in with huge bowls of popcorn.

Mike takes the kids out regularly for Daddy-Daughter or Father-Son nights, and I love that he does this. The kids get giddy when he plans a night out with them. I feel it is so crucial for a father to be one-on-one with children. This has become a consistent enough event that I think they will look back and remember it as a part of childhood.

A year or so ago, I banned housecleaning from Saturday. We do the routine things that must be done to stay functioning--like dishes. And the kids still do their quick pickups of their bedroom before bed, but no more big "clean the house from top to bottom" day of pain! Saturday is Family Fun Day and we usually do some kind of outing or activity together, even if it's quick and simple.

And Max had better remember his nightly snuggles! Because I drag my butt upstairs to his room each and every night--even when sometimes I want to snarl at him to just go to sleep! He will be 9 years old in a week, yet still asks, "Mom, will you come give me a snug?" Who knows how long this will last?! He cannot seem to settle down and slow his brain activity unless I come snug up to him and give him some back tickles.

These are parts of life I hope my kids remember as day-in, day-out "traditions." But I'm sure they'll just remember all the things I don't want them to recall--like how I lose my patience at night, every night! Or how I'm sometimes late to pick them up from school. Or how I haven't sewn any of Max's Cub Scout patches yet. Sigh!

{Thanks, Dad, for the Christmas levities!}

Shepherds' Dinner

I've been so excited to copy Wendi's tradition of a Shepherds' Dinner and wanted to do it right before Christmas. Tonight was the night. And I was so frustrated; I could NOT find the dvd I had planned to watch. This is such a great movie to bring the Spirit of Christmas and it's nowhere to be found! It's gone missing, along with my copy of "Mr. Kreuger's Christmas"--both of which were free in the Ensign. Darn kids. I know they've snaffled them off somewhere as part of their daily scrabblings up in the tv room. So we ended up watching a little something I'd recorded off tv; Liken the Scriptures' "First Christmas." It was cutesy and good for the kids--basically a Broadway-type interpretation of the Nativity--but nowhere nearly as powerful as the actual Church-issued "Joy to the World." (I mean, for goodness sake...the angels were singing in a rasta-beat to the shepherds. Where's the glory in that?)

I'm sure my beloved "Joy to the World" dvd will turn up just in time for Valentine's Day.

I had great hopes of making my friend Ann's Broccoli Cheese Soup (been craving it since she had her fun girls' luncheon), but wised up to the fact this morning that no way was that going to happen! I mean, I've got pretzels to dip & fudge to make & toffee to concoct! So I whipped into the drive-thru of Kneaders and got soup from there. Not as good as Ann's, but definitely dee-lish! (I think Ann's soup will be my New Year's dinner tradition.)

I'm getting a little off track. We ate soup, cheese & crackers and watched the Shepherds sing and dance (much eye-rolling from Mike), and went to bed. Well, THEY all went to bed. I am awake in a quiet house and loving every silent minute of it!

(Do cheesecake calories count after midnight?)

'Twas the Weekend Before Christmas

What a whirlwind around here lately!

Thursday the 20th

was the day of the school parties, so Mimi & were at school all morning doing the Take Home Reading... ...then all afternoon for the 1st and 3rd grade parties.

{my cookie station at the 1st grade party}

It was really fun, but my migraine was looming right behind my eyeballs, just waiting to become a full-blown menace again. And it did come back, due to the 3rd grade party--what a bunch of wild hooligans!

{cookie station at the 3rd grade party; pro-frosters, compared to the 1st grade}
{Max & his favorite buddy Zack during the class gift exchange.}

They were actually very cute and well-behaved....but typical, rowdy 3rd graders. It's nice to see Max in his classroom environment, looking happy and well-adjusted. He won the drawing to taking home Clyde, the class turtle. So Clyde the tortoise is our houseguest over the break. He's actually got quite a lot of personality, which I didn't expect from a reptile. But we've had more than the usual quality time with Clyde and feel like we know him quite well; he was also our houseguest over a 3-day weekend in October, so we're old friends.

Thursday night after all the school merrymaking, we watched the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional--which I purposely waited to watch until later in December so the kids would get a good powerful dose of the Spirit right before Christmas. I gave them each a Santa Clause pez to play with & munch during the devotional (bribery to keep them concentrating). I had a moment's qualm that the Santa Clause pez was cancelling out my efforts to focus them on the Spirit and Baby Jesus, but they listened really well, so.... whatever works.

Friday the 21st
was another big day. Max & Isabelle both have December birthdays, back-to-back on the 29th, and I've just never been able to muster the enthusiasm to give them a friend party. There is just so much going on in December that just the very thought of a birthday party before the school Christmas break puts me over the edge. But I decided this was the year to take the plunge, and I'm so glad we did it! I kept it very low-key and easy. (Actually, last-minute and thrown together.) They each invited two friends and when everyone arrived, we left and took the party to this big warehouse lined with trampolines. (don't want to name the business on my blog) There were even trampolines up the sides of the walls! Perfect. I paid for one hour, thinking they'd want to stay longer & I'd pay for a second hour later, but they were all totally exhausted and ready to go home after the first hour. So including the time when the kids played at my house before we left, the party was just under three hours and I wasn't frazzled at all. This is the way to do a birthday party! Take it somewhere ELSE. Next time I will pay a little extra and rent the birthday room, so we can also have the pizza, drinks and cake on location. (it seems my footage of Max & friends was only on video, which I do not know how to download from my camcorder.)

We rested up for a while (even though the kids insisted they weren't tired...uh-huh...) and then went to The Nutcracker, which was fabulous! I think the live orchestra makes it an event. We stowed Max away at his cousin's house and Mike & I took the girls. Mimi was wiggly--no surprise there--but loved it beyond measure. Isabelle also loves The Nutcracker and considers it her Christmas tradition. I was hesitant to spring for tickets, but in the end was very glad we did. And we'll be eating ramen or beans & rice next month to make up for it! Today, Saturday the 22nd, has been blissfully uneventful. I had planned to get a jump on the wrapping and make neighbor treats, but nope. I went to buy soup for our Shepherd's dinner (thanks for that great idea, Wendi!) and napped. Yes, it's 5pm. I think I will do a few treats now. Maybe. Zzzzzzz.....

Wexford Carol & the True Spirit of Christmas

Merry Christmas to one and all! As we embark on the last few days before Christmas, may the Christmas Star shine happiness upon you and your family.