The Joys of Xmas

En route to Xmas Eve in A-town, Jack has the phone. My phone. 

Stopped by at Nana and Gpa Lee's to watch Polar Express and see trains. 

At Gma D-ster's. Benny took a nap. Just woke up, below. 

Hilly is obsessed w cousin Mark. Mark is pretty rad, so... can't blame her. 

Me and Nenna trying to get the perfect selfie with BBB. 

Mission accomplished. 

Jill said to Jackie "did you sit on Santa's lap?" Jack said she was too scared. Jill told her Santa was the nicest guy in the world. Jackie replied "So is God."  There ya have it! Hilly also arrived and told every person in a dramatic whisper "my tree is sick."  She was describing the tree in or backyard we took down a week ago. She likes to keep the mystery alive. 

Below, Xmas morning after Santa came. 

Waiting to see if Santa came. I was more excited than them! 

It was total chaos. Hilly just opens any present she sees. Sometimes this results in screaming and tears. 

Jack LOVES dollhouses and she loves spending quiet time playing alone. The girls played together for 2 hours after gifts and then Hilly found something solitary to do and Jack locked everyone out of the playroom for some solo dollhouse time. 

Hilly asked for a ham sandwich at a rest stop on way to Aunt Katie's and it was sooooo good. 

We arrived. 

Gingerbread house w Malin, the au pair, who is super awesome. 

Jack in her new hair band from AuntB.

Gifts. 

Sweet little Esme. 

3 weeks apart in age. There is truly something similar about them physically. It's clear that Benny has Higgins features. 

The kids watching Despicable Me 2. 

They smashed the gingerbread house (a Swedish tradition which the kids and I thought was super cool) and ate it, free of adults. 

Snuggles. 

Grandparents and grandchildren. 

Benny reading quietly. 

We drove home thru NYC to show the kids the Statue of Liberty and Times Square.  

Below is an example of desperate parenting. It was not an easy ride home but whatever. It's over now and we had a great time. 

At home, Benny was ordering me around.

And furious. 

But loving his new boy toys. 

Aunt B and Hills. 

Jack using her new craft scissors to create a picture to hang in the dollhouse. 

Cool movable car track from Gma E. 

My boy. 

Pre-xmas

The week of christmas we did many Xmas-things: 

Made Xmas ornaments w Miss Anne and P:

Watched Frozen and opened a few gifts from aunt B:

Watched Xmas specials: 

Ate a delicious meal w friends at my personal fave Mexican restaurant:

Colored on our faces:

Hung bath poofs on a Xmas tree:

Practiced gymnastics inside;