it was just right

christmas was, simply put, a really nice day. we finally made our way down the stairs around 9 o'clock with the tots...enjoyed big delicious sticky buns and mugs full of tea...unwrapped piles of presents that made us all smile...played toys on the living room floor...listened to christmas music...and when noon rolled around i made eggnog french toast- my new favorite seasonal brunch item.

this year, dave made a rather funny observation about the things we tend to buy each other for christmas. for example, i tend to buy him books, cd's, clothes. i sprinkle in some tools and household items handy men like my man like. but mostly, the things i buy him are things i want or like. same for him. he gets me electronic devices, things that require charging, batteries, and instruction manuals, and a sprinkling of kitchen items, maybe. mostly things he likes.

so this year we ventured to buy each other things that the other person would tend to buy. with some success, too, i might add. but dave was the clear winner, buying clothes for the fashion major and music for the music lover. bravo. i got him a few things that raised his eyebrows but i still need some help in terms of purchasing electronics. not exactly my forte. maybe i could apprentice at best buy next year...

it was such a relaxing day spent with our little family, then with my family that evening. i find i can't always enjoy myself when there's too much going on. too much noise or too much to do or too much to prepare. but our day wasn't too rushed, it wasn't too busy, it wasn't too much work...it was just right. i was really grateful for that. i wanted to absorb it all.

elias really is enamored with so many of his gifts- his lightening mcqueen racetrack, his play-doh, his blocks, his firetruck and hess truck. he loves them all. we're hearing a lot of "play with me, daddy!" and "play with me mummy!" ultimately that's all we've done since thursday. and my little bird? well, she got clothes. and books. of course :)

now we head north for some more christmas cheer with the other strattons. so i turn my attention to packing, laundry, organizing, and preparing. if only i could pick up our home and throw it 4 hours north. that would be much quicker. but it will be a nice little escape for us. there will be plenty of arms to hold pip and plenty of legs to run with elias. that will be nice for me. i haven't escaped much since july.

we won't be back until the eve of a new year. it's been great, 2008. but it's time, 2009...

see you all then!