Holiday Rewind: Part One

This was really the year the holiday season took on new meaning for our little clan. While it wasn't Turtle's 1st Christmas, it was definitely the dawning of a new understanding. He now knows that presents wrapped in paper have fun stuff inside and that he wants whatever they are, whether they are really for him or not. He also got to enjoy a lot of the festivities he was just along-for-the-ride on last year.

Certainly Christmas itself is a fun and wonderful thing, but it's so fleeting. One night, one morning and the whole thing is over. I think that it's all the seasonal festivities that precede the actual day that make the season so celebratory and wonderful.

We had a lot of fun this year party hopping and seeing friends and family. We were invited to go with the fabulous O'Malley troupe on a wonderful hayride tour of the neighborhood. It was a blast. Turtle really enjoyed the lights this year. In fact, if we were just randomly driving home from somewhere and saw a well lit house he would say "More lights, Mama." More than once this led to extended drives home and we bobbed and weaved through the streets to find more lights to Ooooo and Ahhhh at. Of course, the hayride was way better than that, mostly because we were pulled by a tractor (or "ta-chee" in Turtle language. tachee can also mean 'cracker', so you really need to have it context. Ha).

Turtle and Dada loading up; 3/4 of the O'Malleys, minus one of the twins.

Dada and Turtle; Aly and Sydney

Alex's clean face just starting her cookie; Alex and her chocolate face near the end of the cookie

Turtle also got his snack on

Here are some of the fun houses we saw on the route. My favorite was probably the 3rd one here, which had a big "X" target on the top and finger pointing to help Santa find his landing pad. There were so many fun houses to see (too many to take pics of) especially since we were partially along the Lights in The Heights route:

Another fun event we were able to finally attend this year was the O'Dears' fabulous Christmas Party, this year made even better by an ugly sweater theme. This is a somewhat acceptable picture of the family in our wonderful threads borrowed from the Peris family. I thought for sure that I would be able to find something awesome for us to win the major prize, but alas I found less than something awesome. I found nothing. I scoured stores but (and you all can be mad and I don't care) I think they only sell this crap in the suburbs. Honestly!! Anyway, Shannon and David came through in a pinch and I added the lovely red scarf with pointsettias on my own. Makes the outfit, no? Ray only wore the sweatshirt for about 5 minutes, whining like a baby and claiming it felt like "Spanx for the torso." yeah, well Mama has worn some Spanx in her life and I agree that sweathshirt was snug, but it was no Spanx!

Our fabulous hostess, Mrs O'Dear; me and Clare

Clare's fab (and somewhat shocked looking) husband, Matt; Dana and her beau, Jason

Harmony and Avery in matching treeskirt capes; Turtle checks out Chester's holiday garb

Here is Turtle and his... er... friend. She was a truly sweet girl but more akin to a living Bratz doll than anything I have ever encountered. Yes, she was wearing both patent leather high heels and a hair piece. Add to that her almond shaped eyes and cheeky attitude = bam:

And just because I know you are totally wondering (and not at all b/c I want to show off how pretty it was), here is our fabulous red/silver Christmas tree. Last years with pets and babies around, we decided to go fake. I miss the... realness of a real tree, but am totally sold on the simplicity of the fake one, especially this pre-lit. It's wonderful and we don't worry about the cats drinking all the water and making it a fire hazard or Turtle eating fallen pine needles. Plus, it's a real cinch to put up and take down. We got such a late start on Christmas this year that I honestly think if we had to get a real tree we would have gone without...