traditions

Not actually a picture from this year but as I was scrambling to find the memory card for my camera on Christmas eve, I discovered an old card and this gem was on it. 

We loved having a real Christmas tree. Last year I threw away the lights we had bought our first year year. The blinked sporadically, all at different times. Between Winston and Rocky's Mongolia trip, we never got around to buying any and just went without. We have a surprising amount of ornaments, considering we didn't bring any with us. We try to pick one up whenever Rocky or I go somewhere new. This year we had new ones from Mongolia, Burma, China, Bahrain, Cambodia and South Africa. They are usually just key chains or knick knacks that we add a ribbon to but we love the memories they bring.

We started off Christmas by passing out gifts to Rocky's office. We gave them our favorite market popcorn. So much a favorite that Violet refused to give anyone a bag unless she was already holding one in her hand. The two girls in their dresses causes quite a stir and there were many stops for photo ops. Violet, who adamantly despises strangers, would have none of this and walked around telling everyone, "No! No! No!"

Amy made these adorable nightgowns for the girls. I can't believe I actually got a picture of both of them smiling--I think it's the first ever. That ugly fish ornament above E's head is something Rocky picked up in Vietnam last year and I kept hiding it in the back but Rocky enlisted Eliot to move it up front every time I hid it. 

Since we weren't going to be in UT for Christmas around our families, we've been scrambling to come up with some Christmas traditions. We tried out a few new ones, some we will keep and some we are still regretting. We had a high class, fancy dinner of pizza and steamed vegetables. Eliot got us in the Christmas mood by remarking, "Hey! I know, cauliflower is like broccoli's spirit." Turns out she was probably not old enough to watch that creepy, animated version of The Christmas Carol.

I had the idea to do 'candlelight Christmas Eve' turns out semi-darkness gives me serious anxiety. Not to mention fire and small children. I'm still cleaning wax off my furniture and I have burn marks on my feet but Eliot loved it and is already looking forward to doing in next year. In the meantime all our candles have mysteriously disappeared. 

In a tradition that is a shoe in for sticking around, we ordered in some vanilla ice cream and mixed it with candy cane dust. The same thing I've been pouring into my protein shakes every morning. (Dad, this recipe should probably go in that Lean Complete cook book, milk, vanilla lean complete, 1 frozen banana, 1 candy cane--blend.--just an adult breakfast.)

Christmas morning was magical, at least for Eliot who was the only one who cared about presents. After we opened stockings and Violet confiscated all the trains that Santa had left each person, she had no desire to open any other presents. Winston still lacks control of his limbs, so Eliot opened all their presents herself. 

She's asked Santa for roller skates for the past two years and I guess he finally thought she had the gross motor skills to handle them or just got sick of her asking for them and gave in. It was the last present she opened and I'm glad I got it all on video, because it was classic E. 

She's actually doing pretty well. 

Since there was no chance I was cooking Christmas dinner or even cleaning up after one, we went out. We could have gone anywhere since Thailand is a Buddhist country and everywhere is open on Christmas. Instead of going somewhere good and delicious, I went for memorable. I read about a local pub that does a big Christmas dinner. It was supposedly good food and with good environment for kids. 

What should have been my first tip off was that it was a pub, second it was British food. Our family together with two other families, we brought a total of seven kids and one baby. Bringing the grand total of children in the "family friendly Christmas dinner" to seven kids and one baby. It didn't take us long to realize why. The dinner was a sit down, six course meal that took over 2 hours and included a significant amount of food that no kid in their right mind would touch. Luckily they served sorbet as the third course or our kids would have completely starved.

After enduring five courses over two hours the kids sat excitedly anticipating the dessert that they had managed to put away the potato soup and brussels sprouts for. It was fruit cake and mincemeat pie. After finding out the pie was made of raisons, Eliot immediately broke down and sobbed, "I just want some treats!" Needless to say, all the 50 year old men and their 30 year old Thai dates were thrilled to see us leave. Especially after we spent twenty minutes explaining to the staff that they overcharged us by over $200.

In their kid friendly defense, they did have everything they advertised for kids, paper hats, poppers and Mr. Bean playing. Which would have been great if it hadn't been the one where Mr Bean was naked.

So it looks like we have 50 weeks to come up with some new traditions.