Pre-Christmas

The two days leading up to Christmas were spent at home resting.  With Anabella's fever and terrible cough, we decided to pretty much stay put after the Credles left the morning of the 23rd.  Besides a trip to the doctor, we didn't leave the house until close to noon on Christmas Day.

And, while we were sad to miss the annual Christmas Eve celebration, which Mom and Dad were hosting this year, we just couldn't take the chance of spreading germs; but, even more than that, we wanted to do what was best for poor Anabella, who really needed to just stay home and rest.

And, while we did rest, we didn't JUST stay at home and rest....

since it was so close to Christmas, we did open a few gifts.

And, since it was a holiday, we ate a little ice cream for lunch.
Did lots of snuggling and read lots of  books.

Ordered pizza for dinner.
Ate popcorn while watching Christmas programs in Mommy and Daddy's bed.

All while wearing cozy pjs.

On Christmas Eve, we tried to take a ride to look at Christmas lights, but it was cut short as Belle's cough seemed to worsen just as soon as we left. When we returned, her fever had spiked to the highest it'd been all day- 103.7 just as she was about to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. Bless her heart.

Here are some pictures from our pre-Christmas spent at home:

Hmmmph, no fun to be sick before Christmas! 

On the 23rd:

Daniel and Anabella gave Daddy his presents from them.
This panda tie (which they helped wrap but weren't with me when I bought it) was a hit- his school mascot is a panda.
And, you won't believe the deal Mommy got on it- one smacker if you can even believe it!?
At my favorite thrift store in Centreville- Clock Tower Thrift- a treasure trove if I've ever seen one!
From the National Zoo store, nonetheless. 

Dan and Belle opened their gifts from us as well.
Here they are with this year's ornaments- Dan got a Spiderman and Belle got a fairy princess.

I love that our kids get excited over little things- can you tell Dan likes his Spiderman hat? And, they were both thrilled with this new Mo Willems book that Daddy bought for them at his school book fair. Another new favorite book that Daddy also picked out was "Llama Llama Home with Mama," an especially appropriate book for the sick day Belle was having.  

Couldn't wait to read their new books! 

Dan liked playing with these beads that came with a little necklace making set that I got for Anabella.

Having only read it once, as everyone else had moved on, Anabella grabbed the book, propped herself on the couch with Sol, and "read" it to herself. I was surprised from listening to her at how much she got from that first reading. "Achoo, achoo," she'd say.
She knows just how to make her Mommy's heart melt.  

On the 24th:

After a long night and not much sleep, Anabella and Mommy took a morning nap for the first time in a long time.  I forgot how much I miss those morning naps.

Poor Belle.
It was SO poor Belle.

When I asked what I could do to make her feel better, she said after some thought, ICE CREAM!

Chocolate Ice Cream.

So.....Daddy and Dan went to the store and came home with some ice cream.

And, while it was lunch time, and we probably should have eaten lunch first, it was also Christmas Eve and Anabella was sick and should have been better, so should have could have smood have nud have, we ate ice cream before lunch.

She savored every bite of her chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream (which Daddy filled for her in a rather big bowl- oh my). 

Ice cream for lunch! 
In a big bowl!
With a big spoon!
It must be almost Christmas!

Full from ice cream and a few bites of lunch, we all took naps and were ready for some more presents upon wakening.

Allie and I always opened our presents to one another on Christmas Eve, so I've continued the tradition with Daniel and Anabella.

This year they picked out gifts for one another at their school Book Fair.  

Dan picked out a Power Rangers book from Scholastic's Book Fair magazine, so Anabella knew just what to get him. The other two books Anabella and I picked for him- Froggie Builds a Treehouse and a Peppa Pig book.    

Anabella picked a Sophia the First book when she went with me to the preschool book fair to get Dan's books.  Dan found her another princess book, too, (he knows what his sister likes!) and then Mommy helped him find the last one (they each picked 3 books for one another)- There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books (Anabella loved the Halloween version of this- There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Bats).  

The Sophia book came with an amulet, which Anabella wanted to try on immediately (I'm pretty sure it's part of the reason she picked it to begin with).  

This seems like a repeat of the night of the 23rd!
They did get real "toy" presents on Christmas day.
When we got them books, it was before I realized that's what they would get each other for Christmas this year.  It did seem like all of our family presents were books this year, but they did get a few other things from us that weren't- Dan got some dress up capes (so he doesn't have to use the blankets any more, though I'm sure he'll still want to) and Anabella got a little jewelry box for all her special "treasures."

Anabella "reading" her favorite Christmas book this season- Charlie Brown's Christmas, a musical play a sound book that MaMa and PaPa got the babies for their first Christmas- 2010.  

A tradition we started last year, which they've really gotten into this year is this Advent calendar, where they get a chocolate for every day leading up to Christmas starting December 1.

This year they'd sold out of the nativity scene advent calendars from Family Christian by the time I got there on Black Friday, so we had to use these "commercial" Santa Claus advent calendars from Walgreens ("good grief," Charlie Brown would say).

Every night after dinner they couldn't wait to open the mysterious window and pull out that day's chocolate!

Opening the last window....

Ice cream for lunch, chocolate after dinner, you'd think it was almost Christmas or something!

Cookies for Santa (we gave him the ones made by some of Daddy's students at school). But, hey, what happened to the kisses in those peanut butter cookies? Anabella thought he should have two pretzel kisses, too. One green. One red. Just like she likes hers. The "magic key" was another gift to Daddy from one of his students- it was for Santa. Wasn't that nice? The milk- well, I hope Santa wasn't too thirsty. 

Anabella insisted it all go on the plate.
But, Santa, don't eat the key!