Christmas Holidays

This Christmas was rather low key, for the most part.  With all the prep and execution of Gramma's 80th party, D and I were pretty well exhausted immediately after everyone left.  Thank goodness for online shopping!  Although, I did get the tree and decorations up for the party, so at least there was a little bit of the Christmas spirit throughout the house. 

Abby was "into" Christmas this year.  She loved colouring her Christmas colouring books and playing with snowman and Santa stickers.  She loved playing "I spy" with the the tree (my attempt to get her to not play with all the ornaments).  She even learned to sing a few Christmas songs - "Must be Santa" and "Jingle Bells" were the favourites.  I was trying to start a few traditions as well - including writing a letter to Santa. ("Dear Santa,  My name is Abby and I'm almost 2!  I'm going to my Nana and Papa's for Christmas.  Hope you find me there.  I love to colour and play with Duplo Lego.  Merry Christmas, Abby")  As well as writing a letter, of course we had to see Santa in the mall.  Abby was very excited about Santa, and loved to check him out whenever we went to the malls.  I had taken Abby one day earlier in the week, but the lines were long, and Santa was leaving for lunch soon, so I had abandoned the idea.  Well, we were nearing the week of Christmas and Abby still hadn't seen Santa.  So, again, D, A and I arrive at the mall in what we thought was a good time, but wouldn't you know, Santa will be leaving for lunch in about an hour, and there were about an hour's worth of kids in line ahead of us.  Fine, this is our last chance to see Santa, so D and I hatch our plan.  I wait in line during the hour, plus the 30 minutes, of Santa's lunch hour, to be the first in line after lunch.  Meanwhile, D will take A and do some last minute shopping and meet me back at the mall minutes before Santa is due back after lunch.  So, I wait, and wait and wait.  Look like the creep waiting in line to see Santa without any kids!  Wouldn't you know it, turns out there were less kids that assumed and we could have seen Santa before he left for lunch.  Regardless, I wait.  Abby and D return and minutes later, Santa returns from lunch.  At this point, I've been waiting in line for an hour and a half and am TOTALLY done with being in line.  We are first in line to see Santa and I walk A up to sit on Santa's knee... and she's having NONE of it!  She's giving Santa the worst side eye and not smiling and near tears and/or running away.  So, A and I get our one grumpy, horrible minute with Santa - after I have waited for so freaking long!  Oh well.  Memories! 

Abby's not sure about this Santa at all!

A contemplating booking it off the stage and away from Santa

Apparently, this is a much safer distance for viewing Santa.  She was much happier pointing him out here!

So, that was all our pre-Christmas shenanigans.  Christmas time, D and I hosted Mom and Dad Cole here overnight, before the left for Allie and Gary's in Prince George.  Abby got to open a few gifts from them and get into the Christmas opening spirit.  Then, we packed up and spent a few days in London with the Harding/Clarkes.  We also spent a little time visiting Grammie and Ben and the kids too.  It was a whirlwind trip, as I think we were still recovering from Gramma's party.  Abby was spoiled - as usual.  She really got into opening her gifts and made a big deal about each one of them, wanting to play with each one right away.  She would ask: "What is it?" to just about everything, regardless of whether she knew what it was or not.

Abby and Molly relaxing after the morning of gift opening.

We did Christmas Dinner at Nana and Papa's.  Abby got to open another gift there (a baby doll) and she loved it.  She really loved all of her gifts (and still plays with many of them to this day! - I think Mom and Dad and Santa were the strike-outs this year!).

The turkey fatigue has set in for Papa!

All the grandkids in London to visit Grammie!

To top off the holiday season, we did our usual (modified) New Years Eve tradition.  We had Karl and Farah over for dinner and the count down.  Karl is usually the first one to konk out (before the ball drops) and he didn't disappoint again this year, but it was D who could barely ring in 2015 before he crashed!  Ahh, the life of parents of a 2 year old!