Tuppin the Elf returned on 12/1 and was with us through Xmas Eve until Santa picked him up and took him back to the North Pole. Tuppin had a lot of goofy capers this year! As the kids get older, Tuppin is developing more of a personality and showing his silly side. Here are just a few pics:
The kids met Santa. Miri did great. Emmett.... well, let's just say that it changed our previously-held viewpoint that he was fearless and completely lacked stranger anxiety. We actually saw Santa twice-- first at school the evening of the Xmas program and another time at his workshop in Cedarburg. For time #2, we did not torture Emmett by putting him on Santa's lap. See, we're good parents! ;)
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day... the "main events"... soooo much fun! On Christmas Eve, we went to mass at St. Boniface. Father Loyola always invites the kids up to the front for the homily and involves them. Jason and I were floored when Miri saw all the other kids going up to the front and announced she was going too. She is a bit reserved by nature, so we were truly very shocked. She walked up the aisle and sat up there all by herself. I believe she was very likely the youngest of the probably 30-40 kids up there by a solid year. Later, she was told us that she was disappointed when Father Loyola didn't call on her to answer any of his questions about Christmas. She thinks she's such a big girl (and I guess she kind of is)! After church, Gammy, Boppa, and Aunt Mary came back home with us for dinner, cookies, and some good family time.
Christmas morning was a blast! Miriam and Emmett must have been good kids this year, because Santa was very generous. As were our families. Everyone received many wonderful gifts! It was really fun to see Miriam so excited to have received gifts she had asked for (namely, a flashlight from Santa... she was a bit disappointed that it wasn't purple as requested but was accepting of the note that Santa left explaining that the purple-flashlight-painting elf had been out sick, so he'd left a multi-colored one for her instead). Emmett, like most babies his age, was more impressed by wrapping paper to tear (and try to eat) and boxes to climb on. :)
After gifts and a yummy breakfast at home, we headed over to Gammy and Boppa's for more extended family time. In addition to Gammy, Boppa, and Aunt Mary, we got to have some time with Adam, Rochelle, Kaden, and Charlotte. Miriam is extremely enamored with her big cousin Kaden and so looks forward to getting to spend time with her in particular. For some reason, I have very few pictures from Gammy and Boppa's house on Xmas Day, but I'll share a few from the day after Christmas when the kids and I were able to get in some extra play time with Boppa, Gammy, Aunt Mary, Adam, Kaden, and Charlotte.
It was a beautiful Christmas, and I look forward to so many, many more.
