Merry Christmas! (Dec 25)

I am trying to squeeze in one last blog post before the end of the year.  Actually, before the end of the decade!  Can you believe it was 20 years ago when everyone was freaking out about the Y2K issue? I can because I was logging in those hours fixing those date formats on those computer programs!  Ahhh... those were my computer programming days! :-P

Let's start off with Christmas Eve.  I couldn't figure out what to cook but looks like we may have started a new tradition with Shepherd's pie for Christmas Eve dinner:

And looks who is sneaking my Guinness! Charlie!!!

And I wasn't sure how the "meatless" ground beef was going to taste but looks like the pie was a winner!  And actually, I had somehow put a pie crust underneath, which was not something you did with Shepherd's pie.

Boys didn't mind it at all!  And the somewhat vegan version was a good version for Bobby too.  And look, Graham said he saw something hold a wine glass like this.  Hmmmm....

Well, everyone had seconds so that was a success!  Now onward to opening one present on Christmas eve.  Graham and Charlie opened up the presents for each other:

Can't go wrong with Hex bugs, magnets, and Create your Own Crystals!

Now... we wait for "Santa".  I wonder if "Santa" over-did it this year with presents!

I think this one was wrapped perfectly!  I wonder who's handy-dandy job was that??! I'm going to say Bobby :-)

CHRISTMAS Morning!!!  And the boys were up at 6:30am.  Thankfully they let Mommy and Daddy sleep for a little bit longer and they were so patient that they didn't even sneak into any presents!

So while Mommy attempts to bake some biscuits...

... Graham and Charlie tuck into their Christmas socks:

It's amazing how quickly they go through their sock!  Mommy is just happy with her stocking stuffer - yup, new house socks!

Daddy gets a new Dodger throw - something he said he always wanted.  Wow, "Santa" IS good!

We have new additions to the "pet" family - a couple of shiny-sequin-stuffed animals:

Both Graham and Charlie both get Heely's too this Christmas.  These are the shoes that have wheels on the back heel.  I am finding out after a few times of putting these wheels on and off that we, I mean "Santa", should have bought ones where the wheels just tuck into the shoe.  Next time!

These plaques are self-explanatory.  The boys love it!  Thanks to Grandma and Pop-pop!

Thanks to the Gooi family, Graham and Charlie also got some gifts all the way from Abu Dhabi!  Who is so lucky!!!

And Mommy got a new violin bow.  Yay!!! Wait... does this mean I have to practice the violin?!  And I can't blame the squeakiness to an old bow??? ;-P

Graham and Charlie also got new sets of PJs and underwear from Grandma and Pop-pop.  And thanks to the Puncher family, we have some new PJs from the Roald Dahl Museum in England! Again, such lucky boys!!!

We left the bigger presents for last.  "Santa" finally delivered a metal detector for Graham:

(Graham and Charlie trying out the new metal detector)

... and a new scooter for Charlie!

And last but not least... Bobby and I finally decided it was time for the boys to have one of their own, except they had to promise - to be responsible and take care of this pressie:

Looks like the boys LOVE it!  It's a new HP Chrome book!!!

We really couldn't pass it up.  The offer on the Chrome book was 1/2 off!!!

The aftermath...

Okay, while that mess magically disappears later... Daddy and Charlie are having a game of chess.  Can't thank Grandma and Pop-pop enough for all these new pressies!

In the meantime, Mommy is trying to figure out how to make fresh pasta.  It's been a really long time since I last busted out the pasta maker!

 Charlie is busy being the camera-man:

We made some spaghetti and also some rigatoni:

Looks like this might be another new Christmas tradition.  Although the boys ate the rigatoni first and then when it came to the spaghetti, the novelty wore off and they started to complain about how they didn't like the smell and/or taste.  Hmmmm.... maybe I need to make the tomato sauce from scratch too??!

Merry Christmas everyone! And actually, at this very moment, a Happy (almost) New Year too!  I don't think Bobby and I will make it to midnight.  We all watched the Ball drop in NYC on TV.  That might be as far as we go, just like last year.  We are definitely getting old! LOL!!!

Here's to a wonderful 2020!!!