Frosty the Elf

Every year, an elf comes to visit our house from December 1 until Christmas Eve. Some years, he doesn't get into much trouble, but this year, he got up to a lot of shenanigans, which utterly delighted our children every morning. Here's a look at some of what Frosty did this year:

Making "HO HO" with martini picks

Using Ruby's stocking as a sleeping bag and crumpled up wrapping paper as a pillow, with wrapping paper confetti

Decorating himself with wine charms

Attempting a puzzle

Building a snow fort with marshmallows

Making hot cocoa

Playing tic tac toe with an elf friend

Sorting nuts by size

Helping me address our Christmas cards

Practicing writing with icing

Playing Christmas Scrabble

Reading a family favorite (Stick Man by Julia Donaldson)

Trying to make peppermint bark but lacking some ingredients

Lassoing a gingerbread man,

which led Ruby to want to eat the gingerbread man

(Sorry, not sorry)

which led to Ruby being put on the naughty list

and Frosty retrieving and decorating the gingerbread man. We have not seen the gingerbread man, so either he escaped or was devoured by our elf.  

Does an elf visit your house? And does he get up to as much mischief as Frosty?

Christmas with Nana and Pop

We all arrive at Nana and Pop's house around lunchtime on Christmas day, and after a good meal, get right down to the business of opening gifts.  

The big four

Little David was so excited by his Lego Duplo set.

Books for Mary

and Will 

Henry and Jess examined his new dragons

Gifts galore!

 

Bow ties 

Brothers

It was pretty chilly on Christmas day, but that didn't stop Henry, Michael and David from playing outside

 

Gene and Mary had some drawing lessons indoors.

I hope you all had a joyful Christmas!

Christmas Morning at Home

At our house, no one gets out of bed on Christmas morning until we hear Santa's bell and his hearty, "Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!" Henry actually sleeps so hard that he never hears Santa's bell and Will has to wake him up every single year. But once he's up, the game's afoot!

Early morning Christmas tree

Finding Santa's note next to the empty cookie plate

The boys insisted that Ruby open her stocking first -- she got a new dog tag! 

CDs, chocolate, candy and more in the stockings

Lots of present pics

Baseball cuff links and a bottle opener for my #1 Astros fan

All Henry ever wants for Christmas is Magformers!

Ruby still thinks she is a lap dog.

About a week before Christmas, Henry noticed that I didn't have any presents under the tree, so he wrote me a sweet note and tucked it in an envelope under the tree for me.

 Ho, ho, ho! 

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve day is always quiet, but the evening is really busy! We headed to Christmas Eve Mass a little after 4, in order to get there early enough for the Christmas carol singalong (and to get a seat). Our church is so pretty!

And as soon as Mass was over, we dashed over to Nana and Pop's house for our annual boiled codfish dinner. We got there later than normal, but early enough for the boys to pose in front of the Christmas tree.

After stuffing ourselves full of codfish, Henry and Mary helped Nana roll the bilharacos (butternut squash doughnuts) in sugar. Of course, this meant getting first dibs on the freshest sweets as well!

Bilharacos!

Nana and Pop had a special present for all the grandkids:

A copy of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which Pop read to them all. 

One last photo of the grandkids by the tree before we all had to dash away home.

At home, the boys sprinkled magical reindeer food on the front lawn

before setting out Christmas cookies and milk for Santa.

At last, everyone was snuggled in their beds, with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads!