Christmas Part I: The Naps
Isaac is going to grow up thinking that Christmas is three days long. For the third year in a row we had a Christmas celebration on the 24th, then one on the 25th, and then one when Nanna and P-Pa arrived. I guess there are worse things than thinking Christmas is three days long.
I ended my work year on the Friday before Christmas (which fell on a Tuesday). I got home and instantly it was like a weight had lifted. I also heard a litany from Isaac in that eyes up, hands moving a lot kind of way that only he can do. It started with Colby Myles then ended with Nanna P-Pa. I was delighted to hear no mention of presents or things--just family members. So when the 24th finally arrived Isaac's first words when he shot out of bed like a rocket were: "COLBY MYLES!?!?!"
The ride down was uneventful and we arrived just as the Nap boys were about to explode with excitement. That excitement built when we got out of the car but it was nothing like the anticipation that accompanied what can only be described as a parade of presents. Nanny and Poppa Dom were very generous with all of their grandsons, so generous in fact that we had to form a bucket brigade to get all the presents in the house in under an hour. Even with the present bucket brigade it was still BARELY under an hour. Uncle Dom and I helped Nanny as she furtively looked through the back of her Honda Element. There was a long shiny one, and a square pretty one, and so on and so on. At one point I looked at Dom as if to say "Holy Crap" and he looked back, saying "Yeah I know." And the parade of presents continued. At the very end, using the same psychological principles that fireworks displays use, Nanny busted out the grand finale--three HUGE presents, one for each of her grandsons.
Isaac's big present was a gigantic cardboard train. Here he is in the train once it had been fully assembled:
After opening presents we ate brunch and hung out with Myles and Colby. Around 1 we all made our way to Uncle John's for Christmas Eve dinner. It is, as I have mentioned before, traditional Italian seafood.
This year Uncle John went uber local on the stuffies, getting the oysters himself. They were, as they always are, amazing. The Delanos brought enough cookies to give one to each person in China. I ate most of them. All of the food was delicious. Around 6 we started the White Elephant Yankee Swap and I thought I had a winner for sure: the Lav Light. Alas nothing to could out White Elephant Wilma's Banana Bunker. It wasn't even in the actual exchange for fear that people might think it is something else, but it was the talk of Christmas Eve. Just before we left we tucked our boy into his Christmas jammies:
All in all it was a great day. Christmas Part II next.
I ended my work year on the Friday before Christmas (which fell on a Tuesday). I got home and instantly it was like a weight had lifted. I also heard a litany from Isaac in that eyes up, hands moving a lot kind of way that only he can do. It started with Colby Myles then ended with Nanna P-Pa. I was delighted to hear no mention of presents or things--just family members. So when the 24th finally arrived Isaac's first words when he shot out of bed like a rocket were: "COLBY MYLES!?!?!"
The ride down was uneventful and we arrived just as the Nap boys were about to explode with excitement. That excitement built when we got out of the car but it was nothing like the anticipation that accompanied what can only be described as a parade of presents. Nanny and Poppa Dom were very generous with all of their grandsons, so generous in fact that we had to form a bucket brigade to get all the presents in the house in under an hour. Even with the present bucket brigade it was still BARELY under an hour. Uncle Dom and I helped Nanny as she furtively looked through the back of her Honda Element. There was a long shiny one, and a square pretty one, and so on and so on. At one point I looked at Dom as if to say "Holy Crap" and he looked back, saying "Yeah I know." And the parade of presents continued. At the very end, using the same psychological principles that fireworks displays use, Nanny busted out the grand finale--three HUGE presents, one for each of her grandsons.
Isaac's big present was a gigantic cardboard train. Here he is in the train once it had been fully assembled:
After opening presents we ate brunch and hung out with Myles and Colby. Around 1 we all made our way to Uncle John's for Christmas Eve dinner. It is, as I have mentioned before, traditional Italian seafood.
This year Uncle John went uber local on the stuffies, getting the oysters himself. They were, as they always are, amazing. The Delanos brought enough cookies to give one to each person in China. I ate most of them. All of the food was delicious. Around 6 we started the White Elephant Yankee Swap and I thought I had a winner for sure: the Lav Light. Alas nothing to could out White Elephant Wilma's Banana Bunker. It wasn't even in the actual exchange for fear that people might think it is something else, but it was the talk of Christmas Eve. Just before we left we tucked our boy into his Christmas jammies:
All in all it was a great day. Christmas Part II next.