The Royal Blog

The worst part of Christmas.

 

Happy Boxing Day!

Best Accidental Photo:

 

Yes, Santa's helpers were hard at work Christmas Eve.  

Best Reaction:

   

Best Thought I've Had Today:

(Well, aside from realizing how lucky and blessed I am)

I get my dRebel back in 29 days!!!!!! I miss my camera <----------this much----------> !

Christmas Eve

Today's Elf Adventure

They added to the Monorail and put up the Polynesian and Contemporary!

 

The Man in the Red Suit

 

E1 asked for grips and a cell phone, E2 asked for Disney Princesses (the real ones, according to E1) and Z couldn't think of anything. 

Santa's elves are just a bunch of subordinate Clauses

This morning, we caught the Elves after they got cleaned up!

 

Here's what they are up to right now!

 

They brought some Kisses (and Wall*E dvd) for the kids - looks like they enjoyed some Kisses too!

Ha! and Grrrr!

Ha! The kids got letters from Santa yesterday (E1: "This is how I know Santa is real - he mentions P!" P is a gymnastics friend.).  He also sent the kids Nice List certificates.  I told the kids it must be because they are such great school kids. Certainly isn't because their home behavior is anything to write home about.

Grrr.  Photopass Customer Service sent me a cheerful note explaining how to find the photos on my CD.  I KNOW HOW TO FIND THE FOLDERS.  The problem is that TWENTY ONE OF THE FOLDERS ARE MISSING.  DIPWADS. 

T.G.I.F.*

More tree trimming photos:

(notice the lack of white stuff outside. *frowny face* )

 

   

The Elves:

Jolly Hollyberry

 

Merry Redcap:

 

Lt. Jinglejangle:

   

What the Elves were doing this morning:

 

I guess we overslept this morning.  I woke up around 7:15, checked to see if school was delayed (we were supposed to get ice overnight) - it wasn't, went back to bed.  E2 woke up twenty minutes before preschool starts so we rushed and I dropped her off. Shortly after coming home, got a phone call from the school.  Z, during gym, apparently whacked the back of his head when he ran into a pole (I assume running backwards and not because he was pushed).  School said he has a lump but seems fine; hopefully we don't have to make a trip to the doctor after school.  And the cable company is coming to replace our dvr today (doesn't record correctly anymore).  They're supposed to be between 12 and 2, my guess is it will be 2 and I'll be late picking up the big kids.  Oh, and it is totally dreary, chilly and pouring rain.  The rain this week has been a lot more like a July downpour than a December rain.  Weird.

*Thank Goodness It's Friday or This Gal Is Frustrated, take your pick.

And, a week later, the tree finally has ornaments on it.

Ho! Ho! Ugh....

Not really feeling terribly Christmas-y this year.  Between the economy, a later than usual Thanksgiving, a less than jolly Disney trip, being away the first week of December, and my annual Halloween to New Year's Funk (some years it is very mild, this year what I call my MidWinter Jicker is pretty bad), I just want to fast forward to January 1st.  That happy day, when everything seems bright, shiny and new.

So, have you heard of getting an elf for Christmas/Shelf Elf?  I've seen it mentioned the last couple years on-line, but didn't really pay much attention to it.  Well this year, everyone! at Gymnastics has an elf.  There are variations in the routine, but basically a child writes Santa a letter asking to have an elf for the holidays (doesn't that leave him really shortstaffed? during his busy season?) and leaves out crackers (crunchy snow?) and water (melted snow?) and blah blah blah as of this morning we have three elves at our house.  The elves like to do stuff while the child isn't watching.  And I can state with some certainty that our elves are getting exhausted.  Their names are Jolly Hollyberry (E1), Merry Redcap (E2) and Lt. Jinglejangle (Z).  Apparently if a child touches a Shelf Elf, it goes back to Santa immediately or dies or something.  So of course our kids wanted a regular elf. Their elves brought the kids little trees with ornaments to put on them.

Since many of our traditions will not happen this year due to time & money constraints or my lack of enthusiasm or no longer being offered, it is nice that the children have something fun to enjoy.  But again I have to mention that the elves are very tired and their creativity is being zapped. And, they seem to be much more active when B is in the house............ 

Day Twenty Four

Day Twenty Three

Day Twenty Two

Day Twenty One

Day Twenty

Day Nineteen

Day Eighteen

Day Seventeen

Day Sixteen

Day Fifteen

Day Fourteen

Day Thirteen

Just as the snow turned into a dirty slush and then melted away, so has my Christmas spirit.  Ah well, it will be over in 12 days. 

Day Twelve

Day Eleven

Day 10

Day Nine

Day Eight

Day Seven

Timmy H Doughnuts!

Two-hour School Delays!

Fun gifties!

Advent Calendar goodies!

Day Six

Day Five

Presents!

Snow!

Letters from Santa!

Day Four

 

Day Three

and snow flurries!

Day Two

B & I were up a little too late last night, assembling the Playmobil Advent Calendars.  And getting the toddler to leave the boxes alone is going to be fun. NOT.   But hey, doesn't every nine year old boy deserve a miniature weapon holder thingy?

Day One

Since we will be unable to do several of our traditional Holiday outings this year, I decided to do the 25 Days of Christmas.  Z (and B) got a Lego City Advent Calendar; the E's got a Belville Advent Calendar.  Z, E1, and E2 each got a Playmobil Advent Calendar  (which we didn't realize until this morning needed to be assembled , but I loooove Playmobil still.  And when I told Z he could give his to E2 if he wasn't interested, he was like "No way!" :P).   The kids will get a  present each day (E2 Playmobil figures, E1 gymnastics charms and pins, Z small games and books) and on some days they'll get a little sweet. 

The kids seem to be pleased with the program. :)