We Wish You A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year

So, I've been on vacation for the past two weeks. I don't know about you, but we've had Christmas and New Year's around these parts, so these two weeks have been pretty busy. Before I jump back into work and the 154 voicemails and 642 emails that will await me on Monday, I thought I'd take a moment to show you what we've been up to.

There was cookie baking and fudge making. I conquered gingerbread cookies...finally. They had me beat until this year.


My taste-tester was satisfied with the fudge so it was taken to the annual Christmas Eve Eve bash hosted by this gal. That party was awesome, per usual, with the added bonus of the whole house singing Jingle Bells with my G, to her extreme delight, not once, not twice, but three or four times through.

We wrapped and wrapped presents. Giuliana adorned her handmade wrapping paper with glittery Christmas stickers and together we finished her gifts to her favorite people.

Christmas Eve was spent at Nana's house with family and the traditional seafood dinner.


Obviously, there was also the formal Christmas Eve Tea Party. Later, those two cuties in plaid gave a caroling concert at the piano as well.

There was also a candle-light service at church...our church this year, which was a nice switch, though I did miss seeing my nieces and nephew in their Christmas pageant.

After church it was bedtime for our little Christmas star and time for Mommy and "Santa" to get to work. "Santa" put together G's trampoline while I wrapped the rest of her gifts and spread the Christmas joy out under the tree.

Hmmm....maybe that makes me "Santa", but that wouldn't fit the song ("Iiiiiii saw Mommy kisssssing Saaaaaaaaaaanta Claus...") Oh, and I also discovered that I had inadvertently left my camera at my mother-in-law's. On Christmas Eve. Perfect. So, it was cell-phone pictures to capture those magical Christmas morn moments.


Christmas was indeed magical this year. Giuliana "got" the concept of Santa bringing her gifts. We sang Santa Claus is Coming To Town about 4,000 times and she walked around saying "Santa Claus, Ho ho ho!" for a week. But she also "got", at least a little bit, the significance of that little baby Jesus in the nativity scene. She pointed out Baby Jesus in every creche she saw. I think we balanced the two pretty well.

And Christmas morning? Once the grogginess of being dragged out of bed by two over-excited parents wore off, she had a pretty good time. She adored her "Ni-Hao, Kai-Lan" coloring book and her Dora, Boots, and Swiper figurines (it was totally a Nick Jr. Christmas at our house.) And she loved, loved, loved her trampoline. She got into the reggae spirit by jumping and bouncing to the "B is for Bob" CD early Christmas morning.

We packed up and headed back to Nana's for the rest of the day. We had a fabo brunch and much more gift exchanging.

Five gorgeous Giglio/Duvinsky kids on Christmas morning.

And, of course, there was a Jingle Bell concert, given by my little Jingle Beller herself...and anyone she forced the microphone upon.

There were other events I didn't bring a camera to. We had a great time celebrating Christmas again with Nick and Kate, and our friends most recently from Vermont, Jeff and Sarah and their two boys, as well as some of John's old high school buddies. John and I babysat for our nieces and nephew while his sister and her husband finally moved into their new house the day after Christmas (yes, they are that crazy.) And there was also a trip down to NYC for another doctor's appointment and a chance for Nick and Kate to spend all day with an energetic two year old (too late now, guys, you're already 6 months committed...you'll have your own two year old before you know it!) John got the news that he will be having surgery next week to implant a neuro-stimulator on his spine to try to relieve his chronic pain. Keep fingers and toes crossed that this works.


New Year's Eve brought the annual kid's sleepover party at Nana's with hats, horns and confetti at 8pm (that's 12am somewhere, right?) while we parents celebrated in a low-key fashion with dinner and a movie. BTW, Avatar 3D...awesome, but it totally killed me. My brain is not ready for 3D. I had a hang over all day on New Year's and it wasn't from the one margarita I had with dinner.

The snow on New Year's Eve/Day made perfect sledding conditions and that's exactly how we spent NYD. We drove over to my parents' house (who have been in Georgia this whole time visiting my brother's family) to feed their cats and sled on their super-duper hills.


And that, my friends, is how I spent my vacation. I promised it would be busy, but I also predicted it would be fun. I think I was right on both accounts. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa and a Peaceful New Year.

I'm feeling surprisingly and happily optimistic for 2010. I feel it's going to be a good year for my little family. So far, two days in, it's been pretty swell. Here's hoping that trend continues. For you, too!

Peace and Blessings!
XOXO
Kami