24th & 25th and DONE!

I spent the morning of Christmas Eve, putting the table together for Christmas day's dinner, cleaning up the house, fielding e-mails from work and preparing to leave for a party all at the same time.  the kids were with my mother, downtown, living it up in a fancy hotel! WOO HOO!

happy, sparkly cousins!
Freyja went to visit Santa with my mother...
I, being a bad and wicked mother, never have taken the kids to see Santa- she asked for a puppy!
On Christmas morning she said
"I hope Santa knows that I was only joking about the puppy."
  I told her 'if we open the kitchen door and there is a dog in the living room, it is on you to take care of him'
She looked pretty happy that all of the gifts we canine free.

 home from the party and getting ready for bed so Santa can come

Christmas morning!
The whole going to bed early thing paid off!

Freyja got her wish, "new clothes for Rosie" and a matching outfit for her.
(Rosie is Freyja's sister,  a doll I found at Goodwill, who is remarkably even keeled and  opened minded, she often takes the blame for things around the house- she puts up with rather a lot, with little complaint. 
She is named for a beloved lab mate of Onkel's, from Romania, who makes fantastic sweets and wears high heels much to the delight of a certain little girl. We love you Rosie! both real and doll.)

Damn that scooter! It took two highly intelligent people fours hours,
before they finally came to the conclusion that parts were missing and it needed to go back to the store!

Maxwell and grandma playing one of many, many, many rounds of Monopoly cards Christmas day.
Mom rocks the whole grandma thing.

Mark and Freyja hogging the party food on Christmas Eve

Miss F playing up the role of youngest cousin, with my niece

lunch at an Irish pub with the extended family.

Freyja reveling in drinking soda right under my nose, with grandma!

My cousin and I outside the pub, feeling very excited that our parents were taking our children back to the hotel for the night!  She has four kids, so this may have been even more exciting for her than it was for me.

at a friend's house for a Christmas eve party. 

Mark being polite and drinking champagne, rather than his usual PBR.

I spent the evening worried that Freyja would ignite her taffeta dress   on all of the candles.

I was just happy not to be hosting the event! REALLY, super, happy!

Stressing out over where I hid all of the santa gifts, and stocking stuffers!