the christmas that kept going, and going, and going

merry christmas!

sure, it's january 8, 2009, but we have a belated, rescheduled christmas eve gathering to go this sunday due to the white christmas of 2008. so, for now, it is still kinda christmas.

we had planned to begin our own little family traditions of waking up christmas morning in our house instead of at a grandparents' house. we had planned to have breakfast, open our christmas stockings and ooh and aah over the gifts to each other.

but that blasted snow cancelled all our eve gatherings and we ended up spending the night at one grandparents' home and then another. but it was a low key, relaxing christmas and 2008 marked the year that aidan finally "got" christmas. he learned all the names of santa's reindeer. he learned to sing "jingle bells" and "santa claus is coming to town." (he still sings it and we're well into january.) he"got" that santa brings presents to good boys and girls and puts them under the tree. every day. (we had to tell him it was only one day a year.)

aidan still has to learn about opening presents-- that is, that you keep going until all the presents are opened. of course, the kid got tons of toys from adoring uncles, aunts, and grandparents. but, once he opened one present, he had to be strongly encouraged to keep going. as far as he was concerned, he already had a toy to play with-- why were we interrupting him with this opening present stuff?

he still has another present at my parent's house to open. a little something from a surrogate lola and lolo who are good friends with my folks.

aidan's new toys are still in the box we put them in when we finally returned home. the tree is still up, as well as the lights on the house. we got some work  to do this weekend.

we celebrated a "new york new year's eve" at the gruender's house. we celebrated 2009 with a countdown john found on cable tv. it was a nice way to ring in the new year with friends. usually, we stay home and watch movies. correction-- paul watches movies and i fall asleep around mid-way into the 2nd movie. aidan and kohl had a great time putting on their hats and tooting their horns. they also had fun playing with kohl's trains and wrestling and running. my baby has turned into a boy.

i'm hoping for a happy, healthy and hopeful 2009 and wish the same for you and all of your loved ones.