After Christmas

Things I saw on the road to and from Little Rock around Christmas:

Lights on a farm fence; gas station message (I have seen this type of message right above "99 CENT LAY'S POTATO CHIPS," which is a little weird, but still a nice sentiment); what is Frosty doing to Santa?


A rest stop in the woods on the way - stone drainage ditch and the hill behind the creek.


Morning sun and clouds; snow still on the Mountain.


Visiting friends at the Manises':


Allie giving Mama a mohawk; Lisa and Nora after naptime; Sol trying to be nice to Layla (but Layla was being a bit of a snot, sorry Sol!)


Sol sniffing his blanket; Layla (still grumpy!) with Miss Kristy; Suzanne and Nora.

Back home:


Daddy made a snowman so I'd get to see some snow (Allie is providing the arms); Layla's first drawing with humanoid features (I say it looks like baby Ike on South Park); Layla got into the bowl of Hershey's kisses.


Breakfast in bed was Allie's idea; my teddy bear on laundry day.



A couple more views of a frosty morning.

On the Nativity...

What I can't figure out is how. Was the the manger made of wet papier mache? Inflatable plastic, maybe?



Mama's crocheted creche; closeup of the shepherds and sheep (aren't they cute?).

Mama sets up the nativity scene each year and usually puts the baby in the angel's arms; then, miraculously, on Christmas morning the baby is in the little manger. This year, she decided the baby would wait out the Christmas season in a more literal and human place. Click on the third picture above to see better.



Christmas morning!

Christmas 2007

Skipping ahead to Christmas! I'll go back and do Thanksgiving later. :)

Allie and Layla spent the night Sunday night and we had our Christmas celebration the next day, on the 24th. The girls slept in my room and I made them stay in bed until 8 o'clock, then we all got up, had a bite to eat, read the Christmas story from Luke, and opened presents. Layla gets fascinated by each gift and wants to go play with it for awhile before moving on, and Allie is more (typically) impatient. Layla was most fascinated with a Viewmaster that Mama gave her (she gasped with delight every time the picture changed) and a kittycat-hooded wrap blanket I gave her (she went off to other rooms to spread it out, wrap herself up, and lie huddled like a cocoon for awhile). Allie seemed most excited about a couple of roleplaying video games with celebrity and clothing fashion themes. After noon, Charlie and her daughter came over and we all had Christmas dinner (our traditional barbecued ribs, baked beans, coleslaw and biscuits) then some people took naps and Mama, Allie and I went for a walk down the dirt road. The girls had to leave in the evening, and by that time I think everybody was exhausted, but happy.

A couple of quotes...

Allie: Grandma, Layla is hitting me with Jesus! [a tiny toy from a nativity scene]

[on the way to school the week before]
Allie: Where does Santa get all his toys? He must be rich!
Shayna: Supposedly he makes them in his workshop.
Allie: Oh, I always pictured him stealing them from Wal-Mart!

(It makes sense, if you think about it. For someone growing up in the rural South, EVERYTHING comes from Wal-Mart. AND the only night all year Wal-Mart is closed is Christmas Eve. Hmmm.)



Frosty sunrise; Truman birdwatching.


Ella coming up to be fed; cream cheese flan I made for dinner at the Ulmers'.



Bunny slippers (named "Bunny" and "Bunny"); 'Christmas' morning (on the 24th).



Mistletoe kiss; Viewmaster; Kitty wrap.





Teaset by Suzanne; mirror; Truman loves Christmas morning.



Layla and Daddy; Allie with attitude; stocking stuffer.



Truman chilling under the tree; Layla feet; Allie with the scarf I made her.



After-dinner walk; Christmas tree; early Christmas morning (the 25th).






Ella & Cleo; frosty morning sights.


Merry Christmas to everyone!