This year we celebrated Christmas with my family the Monday following Christmas, when Katy and Tom returned from celebrating Christmas with Tom’s family in Cleveland.
Sophie immediately ran over to Kyle and asked to be held, something quite different from months past.
In addition to sandwiches, my mom and dad made homemade chicken noodle and mushroom barley soups—yum. Kyle and Christina brought homemade bread and hummus.
Sophie thoroughly enjoyed her first buckeye for dessert.
Stockings first!
Mom and Dad did a big basement cleaning this fall, so we found some basement “treasures” in our stocking. Dad put an old OU bumper sticker and a copy of The Post from the 1970s with a picture of a streaker on the front. Here Mom’s holding up graduation pictures of her and my dad, which my Dad found.
Mom made Katy and Tom beautiful stockings.
Sophie, among many other things, got an amazing pop-up version of We’re Going On a Bear Hunt from Aunt Katy and Uncle Tom.
Christina and Kyle got lots of cooking supplies and gadgets.
Sophie recently spent the night at my parents’ house and, while there, made a super-secret Christmas craft project for us. She even wrapped it—and was so excited to give it to us.
It’s a beautiful Christmas wreath—made up of her tiny green hand prints—with red berries. Now I understand the immense love for your own children’s work—no matter the quality. (But really, it’s a work of art, don’t you think?) ((See what I mean!?))
Sophie soon thereafter fell asleep in Uncle Tom’s arms.
But she then refused to continue sleeping when we tried to put her down for a real nap. So, instead, she loaded up all her new toys in her Radio Flyer wagon and pushed it around.
Yep, you guessed it. (Or maybe you didn’t.) Charades.
My favorite view from home.
A good, good night.
“I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” —Harlan Miller