Christmas Eve was spent at my brother Mark's house. Dianna and her family drove in from North Carolina so the 4 youngest kids were able to celebrate together along with our parents. I was so excited for Ellie to experience the Christmas traditions that I loved as a child.
Rosie made sugar cookies for the kids to decorate for Santa. Ellie couldn't help herself and ate Santa's cookies. No wonder she wasn't hungry when it came time to eat the yummy spread of finger foods Rosie and Sabrina put together.
After dinner we reenacted the Nativity, something that we have done every Christmas for as long as I can remember. My Dad always narrates from the Bible while the kids act it out in robes, towels, and whatever other costumes we can come up with. I made sure that Ellie was given a noncritical role because I know what an unreliable actress she is (like Lindsey Lohan minus the drugs). We made her a sheep.
Ellie kept encroaching on the scenes that just involved Mary and Joseph, demanding rides on the donkey, but when it came time for the shepherds to appear, Ellie was out of costume and on to other things. See? Unreliable. At least we were able to count on Jack to pull off the swaddling clothes look.
Ellie kept encroaching on the scenes that just involved Mary and Joseph, demanding rides on the donkey, but when it came time for the shepherds to appear, Ellie was out of costume and on to other things. See? Unreliable. At least we were able to count on Jack to pull off the swaddling clothes look.
After the Nativity, my Dad told his Pack for Santa's Back story. This is generally done on a felt board, but the kids seemed to enjoy it on the ottoman as well.
Finally, we had Jesus' birthday cake. My hands were full with the baby Jesus aka Jack (is that sacrilegious?) so I didn't get a picture but it is always white cake with a yellow star on top. We used to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus as well, but Mark nixed it this year.
The highlight of the evening was when the kids opened their present from my parents. My dad had painstakingly made them all Noah's Arks. He used the best wood and carefully carved and sanded each piece. It is a toy that will last forever and something that Ellie already loves playing with. I know how much time and love my dad spent on the Ark set and that just makes it all the more special.
I still have Christmas Day and Christmas Day After to write about, but Jack is now awake and demanding to be fed.
I still have Christmas Day and Christmas Day After to write about, but Jack is now awake and demanding to be fed. 
3 comments:
wow!! i'm SO IMPRESSED with those noah's arks! they're beautiful, and what a treasure for all of the kids!
i love that ellie is an unreliable actress--too funny!
and, whoever the character was that had the red polka-dotted robe? that would be the costume that i would have wanted! :)
hope you all had a very merry christmas!
Oh my gosh! I almost blogged about this ark the other day. Your dad made it for Ford when he was really little and Brock now plays with it all the time. I was thinking that I need to take pictures of it and have it documented in my book. I love this ark! The fact that I still have it proves the love...I never save anything. I miss his home teaching! He's the best we've ever had.
Those arks are awesome! Beautiful work.
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