Home for Christmas

We have had such a fabulous Christmas day at home.  Last night we went to church as a family.  When we got home, Nathan had a hard time going to sleep, since he was so worried about Santa coming in the house.  But Mark was able to soothe and reassure him, so eventually he and I got to play Santa ourselves and get everything ready for Christmas morning, which actually isn't much because we are trying for simple Santa tradition around here -- one toy per kid, and stockings with little treats and candy. 

It was nice to wake up this morning to our own little family nucleus, which has become our treasured norm.  It was simple and easy and fun.

After lots of reassurance that even though there were new presents under the tree, Santa is for sure all done, it was soooo fun to see Nathan and Anneliese enjoying their new toys.  Nathan got a kiddie version of a digital camera, which made it hard to get a real picture of his face all day.  :)

He took hundreds of pictures.  Of everything in sight (or out of sight).  He tried to capture every minute of the day.  Maybe he needs his own photography blog.

And Anneliese got and a starter set of legos (well, duplos).  Nathan loves legos (and got a few additions to his own set), and it seems Anneliese is following right in his footsteps.

Also, there are legos everywhere.  All over my whole house.  In every corner of my life.

I made egg nog french toast for everyone for breakfast, then we had fun unwrapping all the stuff we had picked out for each other.  Nathan never got tired of it, he was equally as excited every time there was a new present to unwrap.  (And I don't think any of the rest of us opened any gifts without his help.)  Anneliese got her first cabbage patch doll and a new play kitchen, a few books and toys, and some new clothes.  Nathan got a helicopter, some small matchbox planes, and also some new clothes.  And don't worry, he documented all of the gift-opening for our family history.

And I got my own new digital camera too!  Mark got me one that's totally waterproof!  No more disposable underwater cameras for me.  It's also apparently sand-proof and freeze-proof.  (I kind of want to go to the beach right now just so I have an excuse to use it in the elements!)  It's awesome and really pretty too (he got me the green one).  He even got me a little lifejacket strap for it so it will float when I take it swimming.  LOVE.

Then tonight we hosted Christmas dinner for our raleigh family.  The Chamblees came bearing food -- beef tenderloin since we're all a bit done with turkey -- and I made traditional holiday sides to go with it.  And Nick and Barbara came in time for dessert and some loud boisterous wii matchups. 

Between all of us, we had an extra wiimote, so we let Nathan us it.  He thought he was playing too, it was so sweet and hilarious. 

Today was the perfect combination of wonderfully intimate family time and loud joyful social celebration.  Such a good day.  Merry Christmas!

To see more of our Christmas at home (including lots more pictures of Nathan taking pictures), click here for the photobucket album.

Family (Festivus) Outings

We tried to have a couple of family outings this week.  It always feels good to me when the four of us manage to get out the door at one time and do something together, and with Nathan out of preschool this week is the perfect time.

The first one, last night, was a success.  We went to see Lights on the Neuse again.  It wasn't nearly as cold as last year, but we still needed to be very bundled up.  (And no, I'm not just saying that because I wanted an excuse to wear my new purple coat.  I'm no longer even pretending to look for excuses to wear it.  I'm just putting it on every time I leave the house without any shame or hesitation and I don't care if I  probably don't need that much warmth most days... you can never be too warm... and if you're me, you can never get warm enough.)

Anyway.  We lingered by the campfire, we ogled at the tractor, we did the hayride, we listened to Christmas music (Anneliese danced in my lap the whole time, seriously so so precious), we saw lots of Christmas light displays in the farm forest, and the whole thing finished with a big patriotic Proud to be an American flourish.  Because... of course it did.  And Merry Christmas.

Then this morning we had big plans to go bowling.  We had hunted down two different places that were open early enough for us to spend a few hours bowling and still be home in time for lunch and naps.  But... both places were closed.  Nathan's sad face was super heartbreaking, he was so disappointed. 

But we ended up at chick fil a for chicken and a playground, and while it wasn't nearly as good for Mark and me, I think Nathan would still call the morning a win.  (Anneliese was oblivious.  As long as she's shoving food in her mouth and someone is paying attention to her, she's good.  Bowling or chick fil a, doesn't make a lick of difference to her.)

Also we finally replaced our stolen wii today (with another black one, which involved a more-complicated-than-it-should-have-been exchange process where I might or might not have had to be a tiny bit saccharinely argumentative with a customer service desk), and Another Nathan is coming over tonight under the  premise of bringing Christmas presents but mostly to help us get wii-acclimated* to having video games around. 

Happy Festivus!**

*Yeah, I went there.
**There will be no airing of grievances.  That's just mean.  There also will be no feats of strength, unless mariokart pushes Mark and Another Nathan to duke it out, which could be kind of amusing.  Let's not rule it out, mmmkay?

Christmas Kickoff

We had the first of our 2010 Christmas celebrations tonight. (Remember, we have lots of families, so that means lots of celebrating -- we start early!) 

Mark's mom came up for the afternoon and evening, which has happened on St. Nick's Day weekend for several years now.  Per our growing tradition, we took a handful of "adopted" angels from the Salvation Army angel tree, and spent our gift budget to buy stuff for them instead of each other.  We picked out jackets and toys and books and jeans...

And y'all?  It's fun to play Santa for strangers.  For real. 

Oh yeah!  And it snowed!  :) 

(Without messing up our plans or causing problems on the roads.  Hence the smiley.)*

Then Nick and Barbara made an ridiculously good veggie lasagna for dinner at their house.  We got to just relax and enjoy each other, and let the kiddos drink in lots of Grandma time.

After dinner, Mark and Nick apparently served up some wine to their mom (a rarity!) and it didn't take much convincing before she was getting her Grandma wii on!

The kids and I had headed home to bed at that point, but I hear it was awesome.

Tomorrow we're going to a Christmas concert at church, to hear the Raleigh Boychoir.  Ok technically it's an Advent concert, but still, yay festive music!  Yay concerts!  And happy Christmas kickoff this weekend!

*Photo evidence of my new winter coat, as requested.  It's very purpley. 
(Name that movie!)

She's Secretly Wii-eally* Glad We Got Robbed

We're out of the hospital.  We're back in Raleigh.  We have a new computer (which, thanks to Mark's compulsive backing-up habits, already has access to all our pictures and files). 

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago (obviously) because I thought it was funny that Mark was trying to play wii while holding a baby.  Probably a daddy fail, but a funny one.

Your daily Anneliese -- I don't think she'll miss the wii.

Our sweet baby girl is doing much better.  Still feverish (now new and improved! with a rash!) but she's eating and drinking and peeing, so that's good enough for me today. 

Thanks for all the encouragement and prayers for Anneliese.  I'm so ready for her to get back to her sunny self (with or without the eye-rolling)!

*That pun's for you, Katie.  :)

Top Ten Wii Surprises

We've been a wii family for the last month.  Surprised?  Me too.  The whole thing has been surprising from the get-go:

1.) The remotes are wireless.  Seeing as it's 2010, I talk and access the internet every day on a phone without cords, I've been changing my tv channel with a wireless remote for, oh I don't know twenty years or so, and even the fan in our bedroom is controlled by a wireless remote... seeing all that, the fact that the wii controllers don't have cords shouldn't have surprised me.  But... it did.  (I just made it painfully obvious that I haven't played video games -- except this -- since the original Nintendo days of my childhood, didn't I?)

2.) Wii really does make you sore.  I used to laugh at people who said they had wii injuries.  That was before I understood the true athletic prowess required to throw an 85mph fastball.  (Right, Jake Peavy? *fistbump*)  No, seriously.  My arm hurts.

3.) It apparently causes me to make sports references in blog posts.  {{sigh}}  Jake Peavy?  Really?  How do I even know who he is??  Come to think of it, that might be more a product of our tv defaulting to espnews (or as I like to call it, the LeBron channel) every time you turn it on.  Dang it!  Was that another sports reference?  I digress.

4.) Wii canoeing just might be harder than real life canoeing.  Surprising but true. Seriously.  I've done canoeing both ways (even multiple "tip tests" at girl scout camp!) and I promise it's harder in video game form.

5.) No matter what Mark says, inching closer and closer to the tv while swordfighting totally works.  Surprised?  Don't be.  And contrary to what this video evidence would have you believe, it's totally possible to look classy while doing so.  And I assure you, Another Nathan and I are indeed very classy people.
(If you can't see the video embedded above, click here.)

6.) That jerking motion required of your wii remote to thrust your airplane forward with a little more speed?  Yes, that.  Well, it's... something.  It's funny.  Probably the funniest of the wii surprises, actually.  The video evidence would be inappropriate to show, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  Or use your imagination.  No, seriously -- picture it.  Go ahead. 

7.) Tandem biking is awkward for two grown men.  Doesn't sound so surprising, right?  Except apparently, it's awkward even in a video game, which I find endlessly amusing.  Judging by their frozen arms (and smiles) when they discovered they weren't racing each other, but riding together... yeah let's just say Mark and Another Nathan aren't ready to take their friendship to the tandem level yet.  Awkward = hilarious.  And awesome.  Can I make up a new word now?  Awksome.**

8.) Those wrist straps are totally necessary.  I thought they were just a Nintendo c.y.a. thing to hopefully avoid getting sued.  And maybe they are.  But surprisingly, they might be the only reason our tv screen has survived the last month.  Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you're Mark), the straps don't prevent me from being able to use my wii remote as a weapon.  I don't mean a video sword or video bow & arrow type of weapon, I mean a weapon.  With which to punch my opponent in the arm for beating my high score. 

9.) A pink remote really makes the wii feel like a family thing, not a Mark thing.  Mark tried to sell me on using wii as a family activity, but I didn't think I'd be into it.  Turns out that pink remote got me invested a lot faster.  Yes, I am that shallow.  (And girly, apparently.)  Also it's good for emasculating your opponents, should that become necessary. Just sayin'.

10.) Mark, wrestling the air with a wii remote and nunchuck... um, kind of hott.  Who knew.  I like his agressive side, even just in the wii world.

 Happy wii-ing, from our family* to yours!

*Yes, Another Nathan's mii is absolutely a necessary part of our wii family.  I mean, did you miss the whole tandem biking awksomeness?  And the sword-fighting?

**UrbanDictionary.com says someone thought of this before I did.  Punks.