We took our annual trip up-north to stay in the cabin in the woods. Middle-G calls it the "silly hotel." It's such a cozy place, and the nearly 20 inches of snow just added to the atmosphere. The kids really had a great time playing in the snow. We found a snowmobile trail that went down hill, and did some sledding. Even I was enjoying the snow, which isn't normal for me. I usually don't enjoy the cold, and I probably haven't played in the snow for over a decade.
My parents came to the cabin on Christmas Eve to open presents with the boys. I tried not to talk about presents too much because you know how easily kids get fixated on what they're going to get. They just got a few things to share, but that's really enough. There is absolutely nothing they need. I feel like throwing away their toys on most days anyway because I hate the clutter and continually stepping over them and picking them up. They play with each other much more than they do toys anyway. We did get them one "fad" toy - Stinky the Garbage Truck. It is truly the most annoying toy ever made. Needless to say Little-G is really enjoying it!
Christmas Day at my Grandma and Grandpa's house was a blast as usually. I really wish we got to see all the cousins, aunts, and uncles more often, especially my Grandma and Grandpa. We only end up seeing them at Christmas, and it isn't enough. It's just a good time talking and laughing with everyone. Little-G was quite the handful on Christmas, as usual. He didn't stop moving from morning until night, and I'm not over stating that at all! He messed his clothes with food so bad that I had to take them off, and at one point he even had jello under his armpit. But really that's a usual day in the life of Little-G.
Thankfully it wasn't too cold, so we got to stop by our friend's church in Appleton on the way home. We had to leave the dogs in the car. They did okay, but the car got super furry inside, and extremely stinky. Anyway, they have a great pastor at their church, and we really enjoyed the service and especially getting to visit with our friends at BW3s after.
It worked out nicely that me and the hubby both had off on New Years Eve, so we got to spend it with some wonderful friends. They were generous enough to invite us over, even though our kids are monsters. Apparently the kids were doing damage while we weren't paying attention. I thought they were really keeping to themselves, and as usual that's bad news. Little-G fell asleep at 11, but the other 2 stayed awake until midnight. Really surprised they made it. They were terribly cranky on New Years Day, so don't know if I'll let them do that again.
Now it's time to take down the tree. I know it should be down, but I haven't wanted to think about it. I put up 3 trees this year and a bunch of garland, so it's going to be a huge chore to put everything away, not to mention all the outside decor. I can probably only put it off a few more days before I start looking like a lazy homeowner. I think I'll just sit back and enjoy the last few days of the tree. The living room is going to look empty without it.
