Christmas

Santa left Rebecca's stocking on her bed for the morning.

Rebecca must have been a really good girl this year.

Then we opened presents with my parents.

We opened presents from 7:20 to 12:30, then got ready and headed on over to Aunt Michelle's for the afternoon

and the Forte's that night.

It was a very great, but very long day.

Christmas Eve

Rich wanted to do something fun for Rebecca on Christmas Eve so we headed over to the Discovery Museum for a bit before running some last-minute errands. I noted there was a higher than normal percentage of dads with kids (while moms were home prepping/relaxing) and Rich noted there was a higher than normal percentage of grandparents losing their grandchildren.

We opened two presents on Christmas Eve--

a cookie decorating kit we though might keep Rebecca busy so we could get a few things done (which worked)

and a Christmas movie we hoped would occupy Rebecca so we could get the living room a little more "picture ready." This distraction didn't work, though, and she followed us around, undoing any toy pickup attempts we made.

Before tub time we sprinkled our Reindeer food and magic dust on the ground to help Santa find our house. (Christmas morning Rebecca saw a squirrel eating it and asked, in all seriousness, if the squirrel would be able to fly. Rich replied that he didn't think so, but he was pretty sure it'd be pooping glitter for a while.)

Last, we set out cookies and milk for Santa, swiffered, and set out more cookies and milk.

Nana's Christmas Party

The weekend before Christmas we took a break from our shopping at a local McDonalds. And Rebecca, for the first time, braved the climbing stuff. (The little girl on the left had to help get her back down, twice.)

We also made Shrinky Dinks for the first time.

And that week was the Murray and Associates Christmas party.

Rebecca was getting pretty tired and dumped her water all over us and into my shoes. Luckily for her, she had spare outfits.

I didn't manage to get a picture of Rich and me, but I'm happy to report that, although totally boring, my outfit was from my pre-Rebecca stash.

I Am Banning Kick Buttowski.

My three-year-old daughter has decided it's funny to fart on me. Like seven times so far today. And don't think her first boyfriend isn't going to hear about it, either.

This Week

Daddy gave me a kissing machine--

Rebecca and I went to the MOMS Club Christmas party, though we were really late, since Rebecca had a 40 minute fit over a little time-out she earned that morning.

She waited patiently for Santa, then told him that she did NOT want Stinky the Garbage Truck.

We decorated a cookie,

but since we had arrived so late, we saved the foam gingerbread house for later that night.

And last night we had SNOW!! Rebecca was happier than Rich, who had to drive home at 10 mph.

Santa

Santa was at Johnson's Farm this past weekend, so Rebecca took the opportunity to tell him she really wants Stinky the Garbage Truck this year for Christmas. And a cash register. (The next day she looked at Stinky in the store and wouldn't go near him--she doesn't like most things that move, including the DVD player. She'll push the eject button, then run to the couch and wait, then go back and get the DVD once it's out and still.) She's decided she wants the Red Rover game now instead of Stinky.

After meeting with Santa we stopped by to see the reindeer that brought him down to NJ, then spent a little time in the barnyard.