Christmas

December 30, 2011

Christmas

Whew. That was a mighty busy Christmas season we just had. Here’s the condensed, bullet-point version:

Pick up Ma, Pa, and Grandma Belle at airport. Charlotte displays utter disbelief at the moving walkways. Mums backseat-drives the entire way home.

Nana and Charlotte commence Christmas baking. Dad, Chris, and I make our adopted family gift delivery. Due to language barriers and a bit of awkwardness, we leave only about 75% certain that we delivered gifts to the correct family. We then go to Virginia to Costco because stupid Maryland doesn’t allow the sale of wine outside of liquor stores (or restaurants, I suppose).

We discover that one case of wine purchased the day before will likely not see us through to the 29^th. Go to Total Wine & More in Virginia for more vino. Coerce Dad into putting together Charlotte’s from-Santa wagon, down in the basement. And, for some reason, Chris chooses this day to install timers on the bathroom fans. Fortunately, we had a contractor (Pops) on the premises.

I bake my cranberry upside-down cake that nobody eats. Mums bakes her Bernice rolls that everybody eats. Christmas Eve dinner (prime rib), followed by the packed Christmas Eve service. Charlotte, for the most part, behaves. During “Silent Night,” Chris holds the candle near Charlotte and her candlelight-lit face makes her look like an angel. I love her. At home, we open gifts and then set up the Santa splendor for Charlotte to discover on Christmas morning.

Christmas morning, Charlotte opens more gifts. Papa (turns out our girl can’t say Grandpa, but Papa is easy peasy) hauls Charlotte around the ‘hood in her shiny new wagon. Attend Christmas Day service. Play with Chris’s new Kinect, including my 87-year-old Grandma Belle. Admire her, greatly. Stuff ourselves with turkey during Christmas Day Night dinner. Declare Chris Best. Chef. Ever.

Day after Christmas. Mums and I leave house before 7:00 a.m. to hit the sales. Obtain amazingly awesome parking spot at Nordstrom. Return cute shoes into which I couldn’t stuff Charlotte’s chubby feet. Buy baby gift for a new baby boy. Find the Crate and Barrel mixing bowls for which I’ve pined a whole year HALF OFF. Also find pants for work at Banana Republic. Open store credit card to save an extra 35%. Incur wrath of Chris. Hit Michaels and stock up on wrapping paper for next year, 60% off. Feel smug at my bargain-hunting prowess.

The next day, realize I have caught Charlotte’s cold. Design most awesome deck ever and visit lumberyard with Dad. Chris, Dad, and I pound out budget and terms at the local watering hole. Chris and I realize we’re getting awesome deal because, well, we’re related. High five. Dad pays bar tab--a business expense.

Dad submits paperwork and deck design to the town for approval. Go to Frederick to kill time and shop. At Red Robin, Dad spies a boy one day older than Charlotte (his mama said so) and says, totally serious, “Charlotte could take him.” Sure, that kid was taller, but Charlotte is . . . well, sturdier. Dad and Chris also come down with Charlotte’s cold.

Take everyone to airport at the ass-crack of dawn. Am rather blue, dropping them off. Begin taking down decorations. And writing blog posts about Christmas.

So, there you go. A very lovely Christmas. Photos (of course) below!

Baking with Nana.

Tea party with Papa.

Helping Papa put together the new bike (from Nana and Papa--complete with helmet, which our speed demon NEEDS) that they let her open early. (She had A LOT of gifts to get through.)