Christmas with Smooshy

We actually did two Christmas's this year. Jen, Jeremy & Charlie were here a week before Christmas for several days before heading down to Florida to celebrate with Jen's dad in Ft. Lauderdale, as well as Jeremy's family in Winter Haven. I do believe there will be a stop over in Orlando as well.

Since not all presents were going to be opened on our "first" Christmas I put presents under 2 different trees. I put our Florida tree in the formal living room and put the presents for 1st Christmas under that one and presents for the 2nd Christmas under the green tree in the family room.

It was so much fun watching Charlie open gifts. She's growing up so fast and really starting to get into tearing open the wrapping to see what's inside. Next year I do believe we will have to go back to "hiding" gifts until the night before though.
It was so hard limiting gifts for her ~ I just wanted to give her the world. I guess that's part of what being a Grammy is all about. Trust me when I tell you she got her share of toys and clothes and so many things Mickey Mouse, which is her favorite right now. Lots of toys that make fun noises. I'm sure Jen and Jeremy love those!

One of the things I got J&J was a popcorn tin which we broke into immediately and we all munched on popcorn as we opened gifts. I think this needs to be a new tradition and it certainly made Charlie very happy.
The tin itself was a great gift though because it was scene's from "A Christmas Story" which is a family favorite. We've been watching it at Christmastime for years now. I think we can all recite the lines by heart. Actually lines from that movie pop into our everyday conversations all year long! That's just how we roll.

We all got tons of great gifts but the best gift for me was being all together to celebrate and spend time with each other. There was last minute shopping, which also means a ride or two on the carousel in the mall for Charlie.
There were movies to be watched and games to be played. Apples to Apples is one of our favorites these days. I love Banana grams as well.... but all time favorite has to be Scatagories.

Instead of eating out quite so much we took turns preparing meals which turned out really well ~ with everyone pitching in with the clean up. It was fabulous family time.

They will be back up this way mid January before they start back to work at the University. I'm already looking forward to it!

A Christmas Tradition

Now that my kids are older and no longer believe in the Jolly Man in Red we put the presents under the tree as they are purchased and wrapped which I prefer rather than having to hide them and putting them out Christmas eve. This has caused some problems though. Curious kids want to touch the presents and try to figure out what's in the packages.

First of all I try to "disguise" their gifties. Video games fit nicely in clothes boxes stuffed with tissue paper and clothes are hiding in shoe boxes, etc. This didn't really stop them though, from shaking gifts and figuring out what's what.

I think I've may have written about this before but for the last few years I have given them all "code" names. The first year I did this they were all given potato names.... Curly fried, Tater Tots, Potato pancake, etc. It has worked like a charm. No one knows who's is who's AND there is no comparing who has more gifts under the tree. I think next year we may do names from "Clue." There is really no end to the names you could come up with. Maybe types of dogs or circus animals... See where I'm going with this?

This year I gave them all candy names. Tootie Roll, Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers and Bit O' Honey. I also added a new element this year. I bought each of those candies and put them on the table. They had to pick which one they thought they were and then find all those presents labeled with their name. Once that was done I then handed out the candy to the correct recipient and it was a bit of musical chairs to find their proper pile of gifts. It added a bit more fun to opening gifts and I think I will do it again next year.

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday, which ever one you celebrate. I'd love to hear about your traditions. I may just have to steal some of them!