Happy Birthday Jesus!

Just wanted to document some of the fun things about this Christmas. We videoed Christmas morning but then the camcorder was full by the afternoon and we missed some cute happenings with Ryan and Charley.


For the month of December we counted down to Jesus' birthday on three different calendars: the Fisher-Price advent calendar for Ryan's birthday from Gin Gin and Bubby; the Hallmark advent calendar from the Schmidts at church; and the Jessie Tree calendar I made. Ryan loved the countdowns....when I read the Bible story for the Jessie tree, though, she was less than interested and usually doing acrobatics on the couch asking me if I saw what she had just done. I reminded myself of Beth Moore's statement that time in the Word of God does not come back void. We also read the story of Jesus' birth out of our Jesus Storybook Bible while Ryan set up the Fisher Price nativity scene that was Charley's birthday present from Gin Gin and Bubby. We did that the last three nights before Christmas. I wasn't sure how much Ryan was getting but that night she interrupted me in the story to say something to the effect of "go away we don't have room here" when Joseph and Mary were looking for a place to stay. I told Pat I intended to do this every night next December and he told me that was too much. However, I learned from the Living Proof Blog that Beth Moore's daughter's husband read the Christmas story to their 3-year-old every night in December and quizzed him on it at the end of December. I figure that their entire family is in ministry so whatever they are doing seems to work. Pat told me that he would be more interested in my blogs as a Christmas present so maybe he'll go along with this idea next Christmas. Ryan made a little birthday present for Jesus out of the stickers she got at the doctor on Christmas Eve Eve when she was diagnosed with strep for the zillionth time.


On Christmas Eve we went to the Family Service at church and Ryan performed singing Little Drummer Boy. I downloaded it onto my phone and we had been singing it all month in preparation. It was so so very cute. She sang the pa rum pum pum part mostly with a deer in the headlights look on her face. At the end she picked her nose a little bit. I can't believe she went through with it. Since she had strep, we skipped the Olson's party and came home and had macaroni and cheese which is a Mulick Family Christmas Eve tradition. Pat rang some bells while Ryan was in the other room and she was scared when she thought it was Santa. She tried so hard to go to sleep that night. I went to peek in and she was facing the wall and her eyes were open but she heard me come in and she closed them really fast and pretended to be asleep. She knew Santa wouldn't come until she was asleep. Charley obviously had no clue as to what was going on.


Pat and I woke up on Christmas morning around 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep because we were so excited for R & C to wake up. Once they did wake up Gin Gin and Bubby were not there yet which caused some tears to be shed. We had to wait on them so they could film the entrance down the stairs. Ryan's big present was a dollhouse and Charley's was cardboard building boxes (fun, colored ones...not just plain ones). Ryan had found a giraffe that went went her Noah's Ark and wrapped it for me-so cute...she just folded wrapping paper around it and put a bow on top. The sides weren't covered and no tape was used. She was so excited b/c she thought I'd like it. I did since it was from her! Charley's favorite present was a ball popper that Ryan got her. Pat took Ryan to pick out something for Charley and she has one of these over at Nana's. I told Pat that it was silly to get her something she already has but he said Ryan was so excited about it and said "Charley will love this." Sure enough-it's her favorite. She pushes the button and balls start flying through this contraption with music. She then points at it and looks at you with a big smile. So cute...I could eat her. At dinner, Ryan led us in singing Happy Birthday to Jesus.


Christmas afternoon got even better at Gin Gin and Bubby's. Santa was put to shame by Gin Gin and Bubby and Aunt Ashley and Uncle Aaron. Ryan got an organ with a microphone (GG & B), an interactive dance game for the t.v. (GG & B), and a Snow White costume (A & A). Charley got a Huggums and had the BIGGEST smile on her face and was shrieking "baby...baby...baby" while I tried to free the baby from the packaging. The rest of the afternoon was spent with Ryan doing performances in her Snow White costume on her organ and Charley just getting into everything possible.


A couple of cute Ryan quotes:


The Night of Christmas regarding her dollhouse:
Ryan: "Mommy, that was exactly what I wanted....but something's missing."
Mommy: "What?"
Ryan: "A kiss..."

Last Night At Bedtime:
Ryan: "Daddy, next year I'm giving you a kiss for Christmas."
Pat: "That is the best present ever."
Ryan: "That's a long time away."
Daddy: "Wait, you mean you are not giving Daddy a kiss for a whole year?"
Ryan: "It's hard being patient."

I was kind of sad when Christmas was over this year. I loved all of the things leading up to it with R & C. I can't wait until Charley knows what's going on. I love that we will do our Jessie Tree every year and I already have the starting date on my 2010 calendar. I also can't wait to do the Christmas story while R & C "act it out" with the nativity scene. I look forward to when they can understand why we give to people who don't have much...Ryan knew we were getting a boy clothes and toys because he wouldn't have much for Christmas (Angel Tree) but she also thought we were getting her friends presents for the same reason:) Hard to differentiate at 3-years-old!

Tangential: I was also sad at the end of the summer when I put away all of our swimsuits, sunblock, floaties, etc. because we had so much fun at the pool. Each little season is so much fun with R & C that I hate to see it end but then the next one ends up being just as fun or better. It seems like time is just flying as these seasons come and go. We were looking at vidoes of Ryan from last Christmas and she was just a little baby. We couldn't believe how much she has grown. I am so thankful that God gave those two girlies to me!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!