Christmas At the Parker House

We were up late, at church until midnight on Christmas Eve, at the traditional carol service that we do every year.

Skip played in the band, but Ken's mom knew that she couldn't stay up that late, and still be functional the next day, so it was just our nuclear family.

At the end of the service, we all go outside with candles, and sing in Christmas morning.

And then I motored home with very-sleepy Nate and Kelly, while Skip stayed with Ken to clean up. Skip had to break down the bass set-up, and get it into the car to come home. But he played around with his friends for a while first.

He tries to pretend that he's not excited at all, but that's a REAL manic "Christmas is almost here!" smile, if I ever saw one.

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As a result of being up so late, our family didn't get rolling until after 9am on Christmas morning. After breakfast (for those who wanted to eat), it was time for Stockings!

Then we read stories. Every year (since he was 6), Skip has read "This is the Star" by Joyce Dunbar. A great story.

Then we lounged around for a bit, and the kids started eating some of the candy from their stockings. Perhaps giving Skip a blue-raspberry push-pop wasn't the best for future photographs during the day...

Ick.

Anyways, we had a few interruptions (Ken has 4 younger brothers) for phone calls, and we didn't end up finishing unwrapping gifts until nearly noon! Skip kept saying "There are too many presents" because he is trying on a 'curmudgeon' personality, and because there was only ONE thing on his Christmas list. We kept saying "Just wait until you open the SKINNY JEANS we got you!" (he hates anything that isn't roomy and stretchy-with-elastic-waist).

I had worked until after midnight the day before Christmas Eve to make him a replacement cloak (Nate is wearing his old one in the 'stockings' photo above), seeing as his original one was from Halloween of his 3rd grade year. He was hoping for black.

He got black.

Kelly's list was very long, and included a pony. Hah. Yeah, right.

It did NOT include this:

"Is it... NO! It can't be...!!!!"

Ken got a great deal on a gently-used netbook hand-me-down from a guy at work. Kelly's old computer was one that had been discarded from Ken's former employer 8 years ago. It had no sound, and would only run if you took the case off.

She was TOTALLY surprised.

Skip's big gift...

"What's this? The box is pretty small... It's too big for a DVD... but it's not as big as I thought the... WAIT a minute...!"

"Hey! When did Adobe start packaging Flash in this smaller-sized box???? You tricked me!"

Yes. The *only* thing on Skip's Christmas wish list was Flash, which he was hoping to learn before taking any computer courses at college next year.

*listens*

Yup. He's upstairs right now, making little movies.

After seeing what Skip and Kelly got, Nate was pretty excited. But when all was said and done, what was Nate's best favorite gift?

Yup, that would be a hat, made out of a box that, I think, a pair of trousers were packed in.

Our Nate. He has the simple tastes.

But he was not left out.

He got hot sauce!

(and that game "Wasabi!" that's behind him) I think he was most happy about getting the Sriracha hot sauce. We were down to the last drips in the bottom of the old bottle, and Nate was starting to get worried there wouldn't be any more.

But now, I must go and check on the roast. We're having The Other Ken and Toni over for supper. It's her birthday, and I've told them that they can't bring anything. So I guess I better make sure that we don't have any holes in the menu...

Next up...

Kelly makes inappropriate cookies!