Our Christmas

Christmas morning with our presents!  Notice the milk and cookies remnants on the left.  Yea, we don't forget how to thank Santa.  The entry below is our holiday, in poem form.  Enjoy!

The week before Christmas with shopping malls humming, reminded me soon that Christmas was coming. 

So family in jackets, puddle jumpers and boots, went to see Santa in his big red suit.

The boys were excited, eyes sparkling with glee and then Santa said 

"Would you like to sit on my knee?"

Excitement to uneasy, emotions changed, so standing my children with Santa arranged

the gifts that they wanted nestled under our tree and after which ate candy canes with glee.

I knew what they wanted, thanks to an insider tip, so I braved the nasty weather for one last mall trip.  The toy strewn isles, cranky workers, the RAIN.  The broken elevators, indecisive customers, aagh what a pain!

"I'll shop for Christmas early, next year," I promised myself as I hustled and bustled around like an elf.

Finally with all of the shopping and wrapping done.  I knew I was ready for Christmas to come.

The Browning family gathering brought the feeling of Christmas to heart.  We ate lots of food and goodies to start.  

After eating our fill we all gathered round, to listen to the great prophet Luke expound.

The reason we celebrate Christmas, our Savior and king, was born in a stable and the angles did sing.  

We too sang carols and tidings of cheer and we rounded it off with small gifts from Santa and eight tiny reindeer.

Fast forward, if you will, to Christmas Eve day.  It came fast and went faster I really must say.  The family, the presents, the food and the fun.  Catching up with relatives, cracking jokes, promising more visits to come.

Jesse's family was first, and oh all the toys!  His family knows how to spoil two little boys:) 

 We all exchanged gifts, had grown up conversation, in leu, of the boys watching a video...Toy Story 2.

We sang happy birthday to Jesus and ate angle food cake.  With whipped cream and strawberries  mm.... it was great. 

After eating and packing up all of our loot to Grammie's and Papa's our family did scoot.

Grammie's and Papa's was Christmas dinner, round two.  Ollie and Frankie knew just what to do.  

They decided to play instead of to eat, knowing if they held out, soon there would be something sweet. 

 Oh mischievous children, already on a high, from all of the sugar they've consumed by and by.  Curse you Christmas goodies!  It is you that I blame for creating such monsters out of children so tame.  

Our family exchanged gifts, with a twist.  This year all gifts were home made... you should try this.  

 Grammie and Papa, of course, were exempt, so with glee a little money they spent.  Two brand new scooters for the boys, how grand!  Who needs Santa with such giving families on hand?

Once again, loading up our green "sleigh", with gifts, tired boys, and our dog we did say

"To the edge of El Cajon, past royal we go.  To bed to await Santa and a day in the snow."

Seven in the morning, and I hear a peep, so to the boys bedroom I did now creep.

"I think Santa came."  I said "Do you want to go see?"  Hoping they were excited for what lay under the tree.  "No," they replied to my gentle bade.  They were playing with the new things they already had. 

When I finally coaxed them and Jesse out of their rooms, we all went downstairs to see what would loom.  

Mater and Lighting Mc Queen were just two of the stars on the big morning scene.  Cars, board games, movies and comforters for their beds.  Man, Santa really pack that big sled. 

The boys played with their toys, ate breakfast, and then we all hoped to go up to Julian to play in the snow.

Oh the gray clouds, the rain, the puddles and such!  The hydroplaning, winding roads, no snow!  What rotten luck:)  But with all those lemons we made lemonade.  We returned, watched movies, ate pumpkin bread, yes at home we stayed.  

Our Christmas was grand and we hope yours was too.  May the reason for the season not be lost on you.  Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior and King was born, and that is no little thing.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

Love, The Wattsons     

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Camo Christmas Tree hunting and "Puddle Jumpers"

Ok, moving in December is not my favorite thing to do.  Though I seem to do it almost every year, I am commited to this new place.  We finally got our tree on the 12th and decorated it the next day.  Our family has a special tradition for our tree.  The tree, in my opinion, offically starts the season.  It gets me into decoration, baking goodies, giving gifts, Christmas mode.  Our tradition is going out to eat and then going to get the tree.  Everyone is fed and happy AND more willing to hang out outside and shake out prospective trees.  Frank was so excited to get the tree we had to promise him fifty times over that AFTER dinner we would get the tree. We went to Applebee's this year.  Little shout out for the Applebee's:  We ordered mac and cheese for Ollie and it came out looking like it had been sitting in the pot for an hour or two and it tasted like it too.  Everyone, knows what I'm talking about.  You stick a fork in it and pick up half the bowl all clumped together.  Anyway, the manager was totally cool about it.  He comped the mac and cheese and let Ollie pick at it while they made him a grilled cheese.  Hey, you try telling a 2o month old he has to wait even longer for his food!!  They rock.  After we ate dinner we all got back into our jackets and drove all the way... across the street to Home Depot.  As soon as we got inside the fence the boys were off like a shot in different directions both yelling "There's a Christmas tree, there's a Christmas tree, there's a Christmas tree."  We were able to convince Frankie to stay close to us but Ollie wasn't having it.  Eventually we played a little game of hide and seek to keep them where we were.  They LOVED hiding in the trees with their camo jackets.  I would call "Where are you, I can't see you," and here them giggling standing between two trees with their faces to the wall.  After Jesse shook out about half a dozen trees for scrutiny I chose one.  Frankie held the "ticket" and Daddy and Ollie hauled the tree to the truck.  So now we have my favorite symbol of Christmas in our living room, fully decorated.  I would put a picture up but with the boys and the dog's help the decor changes almost everyday. 

This last week has been a really wet one.  Frank, like most little boys, loves jumping in puddles.  I, like most moms, hate changing my son's soaking socks and shoes three times a day so we decided to buy golashes aka puddle jumpers for the boys.  They were not easy to find but boy were they FUN!  Yes, I still had to change my son's soaking socks but my kids were able to play outside instead of getting cabin fever inside.  Sane mommy is a happy mommy!

Here are the boys, ready for action!

We had a mini lake at one end of our apartment complex that the boys loved wading/running in.  The water was almost up to Ollie's knees  It was all fun and games till Ollie fell face first into the freezing water.

Here's Frank, racing down the stretch of sidewalk, filled with puddles.

After I got both boys back inside Frank was so wet we had to strip him down naked!  So much for keeping him dry but how many other kids do you know who were out playing this week?  Totally worth it!

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Erin rocks!

I need brides for my portfolio before I go pitch to a venue.  Erin was the first to get in line and I was so excited.  Despite our rotten luck we got some great shots in and had an awesome time.  Anyone else want to jump into their wedding dress for me???  Check out the pictures on my photography blog on your left.  Here are a few of my favs.

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