Christmas 2009

Overall, we had a nice Christmas. Christmas Eve... Well, let me back up. The week before Christmas the kids didn't have school and because we usually can't get anything done except school, chores and homework during school we mostly waited until then to have the kids earn money for their presents for each other (we had them draw names). I was already done with my shopping but I still had some sewing to finish up on. I worked on that each night after the kids went to bed.
The kids worked very well with only the occasional pull-out-my-hair-type of moments. So the whole week was spent working (got my walls washed, the old swingset taken down, part of the garage cleaned, sticks picked up and various other small jobs) and running each kid to the store to buy their present (not an easy task with 8 kids), peppered with the odd game or play time.
Christmas eve we spent most the day shopping for, of all things, cables, routers, amplifiers and other stuff for Keith to get the churches wired for internet (yes, he is STILL working on that-- turned out to be a very big job!!) But we came home and had eggnog and rice pudding. While we read the Nativity out of the scriptures the kids acted it out with our little wooden Nativity set. Then we sent the kids to bed and began the wrapping thing. Tradition holds that Keith and I stay up, watch a movie, drink some eggnog and wrap presents. Well, with 8 kids that took way longer than a movie. We knew it would and I had spent some time wrapping before Christmas eve but with kids home and helping them work I didn't do anywhere near enough. And we had too much stuff... even with trying not to overdo it.
The kids woke up about 6:00 and waited around for us to wake up... well, ok, get up. They woke me up a few times. Then we had breakfast of cold cereal and bacon. We never have cold cereal or bacon so it was a real treat. I always debate whether to have a fancy breakfast with pancakes, eggs, oj and whatnot. This year the cold cereal won out.
The excitement was taking its toll. Ryah threw a fit just before breakfast and didn't calm down until after breakfast.
Then we congregated in the living room to open presents. Now, I really don't like taking 10 minutes and everyone unwrapping all the presents and then getting that let-down feeling. So each child got a chance to "play Santa" and get everyone a present. The kids even took it one step further and would pretend they were asleep each time.

For the most part everyone was pretty gracious about it all. We even took short breaks here and there to play with the gifts that were open.

Elijah was so cute. He snuck some candy out of his stocking (hence the dirty face). He would come up to me, cock his little head to the side and say "can I?" He opened his hot wheels race track and was not too interested in opening any more.

Ryah, after the blow up before breakfast, took it all in stride.

Ryah liked her ABC mats... until she realized that they were work.

"Please?!?!?"

Sheba even got a (much needed) present, for which all the kids were excited.

Then we had a nap while the kids played. The house was a huge mess!! But everyone had fun.

On the 26th I helped Keith with wiring 2 churches while the kids had a blast playing in the gym.

On Sunday, everyone was grateful for a day of rest. In decompressing over Saturday and Sunday, Ryah threw a couple fits, refused to talk and was generally disagreeable. She is however improving in her overall fit time. Hopefully, we can establish some sort of routine this last week of vacation to steady her world.

Ironically enough, the best (and so far most used) presents are the hot water bottles and covers that I made out of old towels and embroidered a design on for each child. Cost us next to no money and super-easy to make. Go figure.