A very merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!  We've really been enjoying Advent around here this year and are so happy to be in the Christmas season now.  I feel like December was ridiculously busy at work, with at least ten loan closings between Thanksgiving and last Friday, when I proceeded to pick up another four on behalf of my colleague who's out on leave for a few weeks, plus one of my own.  It's a lot for "part-time" (even though it mostly works out...).  But despite the hectic nature of the season, I think we did a nice job of getting out to Christmas activities, like the city parade and the ND Club brunch, and doing fun things at home like decorating the house, singing carols, doing the Advent wreath each week, reading Christmas stories, and watching the new DVDs that St. Nicholas brought on his feast day: the new Signing Time Christmas special and the Brother Francis Christmas story.  You always wonder what the kids will key in on.  In our case this year, Malcolm was particularly focused on the soldiers.  "How come they wanted to kill baby Jesus??"  Not the part you usually focus on, but I guess it grabbed their interest!  They also liked the detail of Zechariah not being able to speak until John the Baptist was born.  For his part, Joseph was very attentive to some of the new signs.  When Christmas trees popped up on the altar last week at Mass he tried to sign "Christmas tree" - so cool.  He also got the sign for "Mary" and "candy cane." 

For Christmas morning, we had one false start at first.  The boys snuck into the living room before we were up and had quietly started tearing open presents, including one for Joseph, before we caught them.  We said, "Didn't you know that you were supposed to get us before you opened anything?" and Michael said, "I did know, but I decided we should just go ahead."  Admirably direct, I suppose.  We took a couple of minute to reset while I rewapped Joseph's present, then started again with everyone, and had a wonderful morning.  We Skyped with some family members and managed to make it out the door on time.

Mom and the boys

Malcolm holding Dad's present for him

Walkie-talkies!

Malcolm likes watching the old Disney three little pigs cartoon so he was excited about the book

New movie about St. Augustine that I have wanted to watch for a long time - cool!

Say cheese, Joseph!  He loved his Thomas books.

Benjamin Bunny story for Malcolm

Reading new books with Dad

Nice present from Michael I to Michael II

Malcolm loved his new Cubs outfit from Uncle Ryan

At church everyone was pretty well-behaved, but when I tried to get a family picture before we left, Malcolm threw himself down at the altar rail and did the dead-weight routine, refusing to look.  I suppose that's in character for him so the picture is accurate!  Later in the day, though, Malcolm took at least a hundred pictures on his own new kids' digital camera, including some lovely blurry shots of the roof, the carpet, his shoe, and Joseph's hat.  He also took his first selfie.  He had a grand old time.  We got a kick out of it and are very happy he likes the new present :)  We enjoyed some play time in the backyard (LOVE this Texas weather) and had a family dinner of ham, carrots and potatoes, and rolls, which surprisingly, everyone ate.  A few more stories and the exhausted kiddos were down for the count.  Merry Christmas!!