Christmas in words

That's right. No pictures yet. I'm tired of mooching off of my teenage son, who really doesn't want me to touch his new fancy-shmancy camera. And Adam hasn't gotten around to repairing the old one.

So, in lieu of pictures, you will receive our Christmas morning in the style of the 1700s, i.e., in words alone. Many apologies.

Adam fell asleep immediately after reading the penultimate portion of Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" last night. He'll finish it today, with Scrooge's Christmas Day. The children also went to bed, except Philip, who stayed up until after 1:00. Internet. We allowed it on his birthday.

I carried Julia's surprises into the living room: a saucer chair, lined with fuzzy purple fabric. On it, I set her new porcelain doll. She's decided she wants to start a collection. And she had a Victorian dollhouse sticker book tucked in behind the doll too. I bought that at Biltmore House. I enjoyed playing with it this morning very much :)

We did successfully rise Philip from his bed this morning. When we want him, we go into the dining room, which is directly above his bedroom in the basement, and we stomp on the floor. Works every time. Philip got: a 3-hole punch, a very fine stapler, stapler remover (why would you have one without the other?), extra staples, and paper clips. That's what he said he wanted! (This is a guy who, the other night, wore a suitcoat to the movie theater. He has his own style. He wears ties to school many days.)

Peter was perfectly happy with a new book. He also got a watch.

Anna got clothes. She says she's still sleepy and is in her room.

This afternoon we'll drive to my parents' house, just in time to go up the mountain in the evening dusk and see my parents' windows lit with Christmas lights. The house will be decorated with all her little ornaments. She'll be pulling the delicious supper from the oven, and their little black gas heater will be flickering away. My mother keeps a warm robe in the upstairs bedroom for me, so I don't have to pack one (we all know how much space a winter robe takes in a suitcase). That's a sign of real affection.

Adam plans to shop tomorrow. He wants to buy Christmas lights for next year, while they're on sale, and before they're all gone. So, if you're reading, Daddy, just know that we will disappear to town tomorrow morning and be gone awhile. But we'll hang around on Thursday.
I need to return a book (a lovely book about Fairies that Adam bought for me). Peter needs to return a shirt. Otherwise, we're all very happy with our gifts. I discovered, pleasantly, that I did not spend enough money on myself, so I think I have some shopping to do. If I can just think of what I want. Hmm.

Adam is finishing his chocolate-making today too. I'm sitting at the kitchen counter, blogging away. Julia is playing with fairy stickers.

Merry Christmas to everyone. May the miracle of God, coming to us in a human body, fill your minds with gratefulness today.