Christmas Day

While it was a fairly rough year playing Santa for the first year (Jake's mild screw-driver tantrum--Auntie A reassured me that all her friends have faced a similar conundrum at the holidays) we made it. The first pic showcases me and Jake at the witching hour in front of "Santa's" retro kitchen. I know Jake just wanted to play darts with the boys in the shop rather than indulge in fantasy land--St. Nick sliding down our faux chimney at the wee hour to deliver toys for our little Cindy Lou-hou who is not even two--but we survived with "a little help from our friends, hem, family". Thank you all for getting Izzi's cute kitchen assembled!

Izzi woke up around 7 (like a good little girl) to the paparazzi in full effect. While I "coached" Jake to find the video camera before I went to bed (he was not able to) faithful Auntie Audrey was and caught Ms. Ashton's first Christmas at home with all the awe and wonder it could afford. She was timid at first (she gravitated to her most treasured toys first--the kitty purse Auntie Amy bought her while shopping at the newly remodeled Southcenter mall) and acted like it was knew--thus confirming my initial idea of wrapping old gifts and renewing their value.

I was really proud of my 18 month old. She paced herself and played with all her gifts equally. She roamed from dolly bed to kitchen to pots-n-pans to tent to puzzles to clothes to bags to puppets to chair to books and back again to make the rounds. G-mum says little A dances on her toes just as I did, and pays attention to all her "babies" in the same fashion. Ahh, genetics.

Bottom line: Ms. Isadora loved being home and we loved having everyone out for the holidays. Thank you so much for your generosity and love. Our little girl wil remember talking to everyone (in her special code), running about in a scatterbrained fashion, napping in her tent, cooking a wooden onion (or pork chop) and loving on her family for her second wonderful Christmas. )Ps....Notice how Izzi and Gramps have the same sleeping stance? Cute, eh?)