The One with Sushi for Santa

December 21-25, 2018

This weekend is stretched out to include Christmas Day!  Not a lot to share - we spent a lot of time as a family.  relaxing, binge watching TV and Netflix and Christmas Movies on the Hallmark channel, and board games.  Once we opened some gifts,  there were new "toys" to play with and a few new distractions, but that didn't keep us from recharging our batteries, and binge watching TV!

Friday the 21st, the kids were all out of school.  Mom had to work until 12 noon, but it was still holiday season, and we were so ready!  There was an OSU men's basketball game at noon that day, but Lara was already worn out from football switching to wrestling, and from finals, so she chose to stay home and recharge while the men folk went to the game - and I met them there after I got off work!  We got to watch Lara's friend Clay Hatfield win $100 at halftime by completing a series of shots in 30 seconds.  I'm sure she is sad she missed it!

Saturday, we braved the mall.  Dad had a Christmas Errand to run in OKC, so he dropped Mom and 3 kids (Lara, Jake, and Finn) off at the mall to kill time, and to keep his Santa Secrets.  We shopped for stocking stuffers, went to every shoe store (Thanks, Jake!), and had a treat at the Cookie Dough store.  The mall was busy, but not packed.  I guess we get the procrastinators award this year!  Lara also tried on a couple of prom dresses - never too early to start thinking about that!  When we got home, Jake wanted to see how much taller than Lara he really was...

She's 16.5; He is 11 and 11/12ths

So, there's that...

Sunday, we had another relaxing day and went to the "Christmas Eve" church service at Life Church.  We took the obligatory Christmas photo in front of the prop the church always provides!  After we got home, Jake and Lara had a YouTube Karaoke contest in her room.  I was the judge!

Perfectly Imperfect

Monday was Christmas Eve!  The tension was mounting, and the 7 year old was SO READY for Santa to make an appearance already!  Lara left early in the morning to meet up with Emma and the Horinek/Golay side of the family for Christmas festivities.  They sent this cute pic from the Walmart parking lot:

Before we got down to Christmas business, we were still marveling at how the girls' "little" brother was so much taller then them!  We actually found some old pictures and made a fun collage:

ages 3 and 7; ages 14 and 10, ages 16 and 11

We measured the kids, too.  Jake is 5'9", Emma is 5'8", and Lara is 5'6".  Finn is 4'1" at 7, but his growth has always been weird, so we have no idea where he will end up in the mix.  We'll know in about 10 years, I suppose!
Then, that evening, we all met up at Nana and Grandpa's house in Perkins for Christmas Even festivities with them.  We had chili for dinner, and the kids got to open presents from their grandparents.  The girls are at the age where they get money and gift cards to their favorite stores.  But, don't be fooled, they still got down on the ground and played with Finn's new toys, too!

Once we were all back at the Weaver House on a Hill, it was time for Christmas Eve traditions: new PJ's, the annual reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and setting out sushi and soda for Santa.  The stockings were all hung, the kids tucked in bed, and the next morning would be CHRISTMAS!

Christmas PJ's 2018

Stockings and Sushi

CHRISTMAS DAY!  It's finally here!  And there are literally no pictures!  That means it was a great day, right!  Emma and Lara each got their traditional 3 gifts from us (just like the wise men gave Jesus), and a Santa gift (something more frivolous).  The fact that they traded some gifts around just goes to show how their personalities switch back and forth, and in a pinch, they will help each other out!  They were surprised by some gifts, and grateful for needs met with others.  Just the way we like it!  We had Chick-fil-A catering and Potato Soup for lunch, then moved on to our Christmas Day tradition of board games.  For several years it was Rustic Cuff Monopoly, but the last 2 years it has been Ticket to Ride.

Ticket to Ride (board game)

Emma left us early in the evening to go see friends and do her own thing.  We were happy to be all together for the Christmas holiday.  There is only one more of these before the holiday will change drastically since they won't be living at home anymore.  Bittersweet.  Glad I am documenting these memories!

Next week, it's a new year.  Welcome, 2019!