Christmas Week

Merry Christmas! And what a Christmas it was. Each year I swear I'll be better prepared and each year I lament the fact that I'm not. Maybe 2011? That said, thank goodness for the arrival of my parents and brother to provide extra hands and help to make Christmas magical. And magical it was.

Maddie got her wish for a snowy Christmas!

The annual gingerbread house decorating. Uncle J did get in trouble for nibbling on the roof of the house.
Our adult dinner at The Biltmore. A small slushy snow storm curtailed our plans to go to the hottest new restaurant in the area. We settled in at The Biltmore which has been around since prohibition times. They focus on local cheeses and meats. The ambiance was perfect, warm, New Englandy, tin ceilings, amazing beers and holiday cheer!
A pizza party at the Windsor Club. The boys really developed their bowling game this time around.
Gabriel would s-l-o-w-l-y roll the ball down the lane and patiently watch for it to bump a pin.

Maddie's favorite - air hockey. She gave Johnny a run for his money.

Look at the ping pong stance!

And finally Christmas eve! We attended the 3:30 children's pageant, which is pure chaos and noise. Last year, I had two donkeys and an angel in the pageant. This year, I couldn't convince the angel to participate. One donkey refused to suit up. And my lone participant got too hot waiting to make his trek to the baby Jesus that he disrobed debuting as 1/2 a donkey. Yes, there are many jokes you can make out of this.
And as usual, we had an amazing Christmas Eve feast courtesy of Chef Sanders. Salmon rillettes, roasted tomato and burata caprese with arugula pesto, cappellacci (sweet potato ravioli), fish cooked in salt, sauteed broccoli, campari granita, and italian cakes.

Making the ravioli

The red snapper! In a daring display of letting go of control, Nathan had me chose the fish when the market he went to did not carry whole fish. He dictated specifics including a short illustrative story about the plane going down, the pilot incapacitated and me having to step in to fly the plane while listening to instructions from air traffic control. Needless to say, I passed with the highest marks.

The kids sprinkling reindeer food on the front yard.

Christmas morning! Waiting for everyone to rise and shine, the kids inspected the yard for reindeer hoof prints (there were some) and disturbed snow where they nibbled.

The children made presents for each other and were so proud to give them. Maddie painted small canvases and made yarn octopuses, Theo painted ornaments with a picture of himself in them and Gabriel made an ornament for his brother and sissy.
Welcome to the family, Felicity! Our first entrance in the American Girl doll world - and what a world it is. Wow. Marketing like you wouldn't believe. But, one 7 year old couldn't have been happier!
Western gear from Arizona. The boys wore their boots and galloped around the house. Super cute.

Native American made bracelets. My parents met the jewelry maker of mine.

We also had the annual Christmas jam. Unfortunately, my piano "playing" didn't pan out. Dad has picked up the electric guitar so we have high hopes for a full jam next year! Gabriel rocked it on the drum, Johnny tried to be enthusiastic with the shaker and Maddie carried the songs!

It was a boys morning at the Bruins practice on the day after Christmas. Theo was beyond excited. What a find - we can go watch the Bruins practice any old time at a community ice rink!

Pre-blizzard feast at Casa Portugal. The hype surrounding the blizzard was something else. Johnny was due to fly out on Monday out of New Hampshire. He changed his flight to Tuesday, smart move due to the fact that travelers are still stranded.

Sibling play

End of blizzard shoveling. Dad graciously shoveled our entire driveway and walk. We estimated only 10-12 inches of snow rather than the 20 expected. That is a lot of shoveling! It's nice to have a day without errands, to be "stranded" in the house. Mom, Johnny and I walked to Starbucks for a warm cuppa. It was a beautiful walk through the snowy streets.

The kids love this playful uncle.

Adieu Christmas! What blessings we have.