Glad Tidings to You

Well, I chose Christmas movies and present-wrapping over clearing out camera space by posting a pre-Christmas blog full of Advent pictures, so hang in there! This one's a doozy (in the absolute best sense of the word, of course).

Christmas ready-ing mingled with every-day festivities as we prepared for the big 2-5.

Allie got a hold of my heels and dubbed them my 'rock star shoes.' The shoes are now MUCH more exciting.

Being...

A...

Rock Star...

Is Serious Business.

And so is decorating the tree. (She's mesmerized by her new singing Elsa ornament.)

Both of our girls are pretty into Christmas movies...

Especially the furry one.

And, pretty into Christmas snuggles.

And slobbers.

At her school, Allie carried on the family tradition of representing a donkey at Christmas time. I was also 'shaggy and brown, carrying His mother up-hill and down.'

She brought the 'gusto' to her verse of the Friendly Beasts (before getting waylaid by a rogue bobby-pin).

'Hee-Haw! Hello Sam! How are you?'

And what Christmas is complete without a Christmas tutu (thanks, Gayle!) paired with a Sophia dress, Hawaiian lay, and a Captain America Tiara?

Not ours!

 'And Allie in her ridiculously large bow, and Abs in her cap, had just settled down...'

Who are we kidding? Only half of this duo ever naps.

 Barb, Allie and I braved the drizzle to celebrate Christmas in Middleburg with the old-school-horse-crowds of Virginia. It's like walking into a picture print from Currier and Ives.

Even the rain didn't dampen the wonder.

Christmas-ly majestic even in the dampness.

These guys didn't seem to mind the weather at all.

Nothing like a visit with Santa to brighten a gloomy-weather day!

We all went to see our very own, Jamie play Daddy Warbucks in my high school's production of Annie two weekends before Christmas. Allie spent half of the show in a standing ovation and got autographs of all of the cast (first, and foremost, Sandy's, played by one of her schoolmates). 

Starstruck by Daddy Warbucks. Leeping Lizards he was good!

 Since seeing Annie, Allie has had a split personality. We have to listen closely to see if we should address her as Allie or Annie. She practices both signatures, and there were even a few presents under the tree, courtesy of 'Annie.'

The redhead won out on this one.

The big girls took a night out for some Christmas cheer too. Barb and I went to go see the Moscow Ballet's production of the Nutcracker at George Mason. It was a far cry from Barbie and Angelina Ballerina's nutcracker and the little-girl-in-Christmas-dresses-watching was almost as good as the production. A few more years and we'll bring Allie with us. For now, she needs a theatrical environment in which, well, she can be theatrical while watching.

Nutcracker selfie.

The next weekend, we went to go see Riley in the dance performance of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Riley made it through the entire number on stage and was the cutest dancing shopper we've ever seen.

Oh, the uncontrollable cheer!

 The last day before break (I say this, in complete denial of the fact that it wasn't really my last day before break this year), Allie helped me deliver Christmas Morning Casserole to the counseling department and the main office. She dressed the part with her Christmas Santa get-up, thanks to a thrifty and bargain-shopping Grandmom. Being ready for 'work' as a Christmas breakfast helper at Mommy's school is one of the few things that will make this kid smile during our morning prep routine.

Barb and I received souvenir DVDs of the Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker performance and after watching it, Allie insisted that her Daddy help her with the Arabian Dance...the most acrobatic and athletic of the dances...of course. This is what it looks like in real life.
 

Do not try this at home.

We went over to Grammy and Grandpop's for our annual Pizzelle-making evening.

Let the waffling begin!

Who new pizzelles required cheese?

Grandmom and Grandpa came in on Tuesday and the food prep began in earnest. Rapunzel even deigned to help roll the sausage and cheese balls.

Twas the night before Christmas Eve and all through the house...

A Grandmom was reading to her granddaughter and a mouse.

Auntie Erin came through in a big way with something Allie didn't even know was missing from her life until she opened it. As I'm typing, I hear the Barbie dog sneezing, coughing, and having her nose blown by our resident vet.

Total score.

Santa brought our 3-going-on-13-year-old clip-on earrings in her stocking. They didn't last long...

But they were on long enough to make me want to zip her back up into a onesie...stat.

Don't let her fool you, this is snuggling, not slumbering.

And this year, Allie decided that Santa needed a little pick-me-up, so she left him coffee...black...with a lid...and a straw.

It worked!

Even Abs agreed...

Yep! Definitely worked.

We had a SUPER Christmas day.

High-speed, joy alert!

Even super-heroes pause for a photo-break.

Aaaaand, a disco, I mean super-hero pose.

Abs was BEYOND thrilled to be in a picture with this crazy crew.

No pressure to look quickly here, not much has changed in Allie's outfitting since this picture was taken...she's maybe been in real clothes 30% of the time since Christmas...maybe.

Christmas Blessings and a Happy New Year...

From our deer family...

To yours.