A very merry

Rob and I got stockings stuffed and gifts under the tree before he went up to bed. TBS was running the 24 hour rerun of Christmas Story and I watched the last half before falling asleep on the couch - it was pretty funny, I kept waking up at various parts of the movie. We told the kids last night not to come down before 8AM - knowing that meant nothing. At 7:45AM I heard Nick talking upstairs and then coming down the stairs. I thought for sure Ellie would have been up but she wasn't - Nick woke her up.
Rob made us some coffee and we got the video camera ready and then the stockings were opened. Nick was very happy Santa bought him miscellaneous pieces of track for his train set and Ellie was happy that she had new shower gel. Ellie was very patient while Nick opened his gifts - mostly trains but a few craft things too. Ellie got to work opening her gifts - about half and half, American Girl and art and crafts things. Rob was much better at gifting me than I was him this year. I had been researching fm receivers for Rob's ipod to play in his car but every one I looked at online had terrible reviews - so I passed it up. If anyone has one that is good in our area let me know please.
Rob got me a new lounge wear - a couple pairs of yoga pants, a couple shirts and a lovely addition to my pandora bracelet. The kids were so funny opening with their facial expressions and random thoughts. We finished opening and the kids started to take things apart to play with. I was able to get all the bags and boxes from last night un-packed before Mom and Dad and Uncle Bill came over for breakfast. As if Mom didn't do enough last night for dinner she made the majority of breakfast this morning. I cooked the polish sausage and picked up bagels and cream cheese but Mom made the most delicious strata and caramel gooey buns and potatoes - yummy breakfast. We made a decision last night that Nick and Tony had enough to open and Mom and Dad saved their "big" present for today. Best description, a boys version of a dollhouse, it was a police/fire station 3 story house with all the furniture and people and most importantly - vehicles.
We sat down for breakfast but Nick and Ellie had no desire to eat when the living room was filled with new things. They were so happy to show off all their new toys and were delighted they had Mom and Dad to play with them. With the snow still falling, the kids persuaded Rob to take them outside to play. We bundled them all up with layer after layer and off they went. They began sledding down the front path and then Nick went to ask our neighbors to join them outside playing. The tried to build a snowman but the snow wasn't really cooperating on that front. Rob got out Nick's jeep (the battery had kept its charge) and Nick tried to pull Ellie on her sled - too funny. Rob made his way back into the warmth and the kids eventually joined him.
Mom and Dad left us and I think we opened pretty much every present from its original packaging. Ellie really wanted to make her new lego beach house that Jo and Ole had got her - real legos (not duplos) with 100s of pieces. Ellie and I worked the rest of the afternoon putting together the beach house. Rob and Nick painted his boat they made a couple weeks ago and Rob tried to play with duplos with Nick. It was really nice to work on a project with Ellie like that - we really needed that kind of time together. My fingers held out until about 1/2 way up the roof then they began to tingle.
Rob gave the kiddos a bath - they got to use their stocking roll-on paint. Rob came down and we decided to surprise the kids with movie night - Polar Express on the pull out couch. We got the bed ready and Rob turned the twinkle lights on and we made cinnamon popcorn and we had the rest of fruit from breakfast and we broke into our "movie night" gift pack from friends. It was a very nice evening - all of us sitting on the sofa bed shoulder to shoulder. It took forever to get Nick to sleep tonight - I thought for sure the movie would have calmed him down from the day but I guess not.
Rob and I have been sitting in the back room watching Storage Wars - our new reality tv guilty pleasure. They follow storage shed auctions and these people go nuts bidding for these sheds they can only peer into for a couple minutes - highly entertaining. It was a great Christmas and I cannot finish my thoughts on this because it has caused my eyes to starting flowing with tears and that in turn causes them to go into painful spasms. A bit of queasiness today - it comes and goes. The fingers are still annoying with their tingles but I can feel they are getting better. Still no major joint pain and that makes it almost all worth it. I hope everyone had a wonderful day and was able to get some quality time in with loved ones, I did. Visualising my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal me - whomever that shall be, Tree