The Joys of Christmas

I didn't think it could be worse than last year's attempt, but it was! Today we took the Christmas card picture of the kids and I will sum it up with one word...CHAOS!!! Trying to get a two-and-a-half year old to hold a newborn, keep his head up, look at the camera and smile was torture for all involved. I got the kids dressed in their matching outfits, sat Caroline down, posed her, placed her brother where I wanted him and the second we'd get ready to snap the picture, she would look away, Roy Austin's collar would go over his face, Caroline would move her hands to touch her brother's head and cover his face, she'd start to cry, I'd want to start crying...you name it and it happened! It is always so frustrating taking the annual Christmas card picture and it seems to get harder each year! We finally got some that may do. I guess I just had a vision of how our picture would look and I don't think it will happen that way! Roy was laughing at me and got the video camera out to record our picture session. I felt like a typical stage/pageant mom sitting there telling--or maybe yelling at--my little girl to smile! We took about 3 breaks and I finally gave in and started bribing with M&M's. Maybe next year it will be better.

We also decorated our tree today. This is the first year that Caroline "gets" Christmas and it is so much fun to see it through her eyes. She gets so excited about the lights, the yard art in our neighbors' yards, the songs, the ornaments and this morning she looked at our nativity set and asked me who everyone was. We put on the "Dolly Video" while we decorated the tree and sang the songs. (For those that don't know, Dolly was in a Christian kids Christmas video when she was younger and it has become a classic with all the kids in our family. The kids love it, but the adults in our family have many inside jokes about it because we know every cheesy line in the video. Roy made fun of it the entire time we watched it today and had many questions about some of the characters). It was either that or watch The Polar Express for the billionth time this week. Caroline finally got a little tired and cranky and we happily put her down for her nap! It is a cold, dreary day outside today and the perfect Sunday afternoon to do nothing but relax by a lit Christmas tree and watch Chrismas movies! This will be another busy week. We are getting family pictures taken tomorrow, Roy is leaving for Africa on Wednesday and the children and I will be on our way to Virginia for some fun with my family and to meet my new little nephew, Wyatt.

Our first session. Why couldn't she be looking AT the camera? I won't post the one I think we'll use. You need to be surprised when you open your mailbox!

Caroline placing ornaments on the tree. Notice Cedric from "Kids Sing Christmas" on the TV!

My favorite ornament of the Rockettes that Caroline ended up breaking:(

Bribes work!
Notice the red ornament in the corner of the chair. She took this off the tree and I told her that was one of my special ornaments that I didn't want her touching. This is when we knew it was nap time because she had a melt down.

The finished product, complete with a fire and a silly Christmas movie on ABC Family.