Christmas 2016

"All I want is what I have coming to me….All I want is my fair share"  - Sally Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

This is what the room looked like before the family arrived and complete chaos erupted.  As soon as everyone was in place the paper started to fly!

Malikai got a box of spy/joke items.  The coolest were these dark glasses with mirrors so he could see behind him.

Every year Allie gets a hat….this year, it's Snoopy!

I got a hat too…and so did Bret but Trudi is wearing it in this dumb/ dumber /dumbest photo.  Trudi is a sport when it comes to goofy faces - even knowing that this will probably be in the photo calendar I make for her every year.

But we took a good one too.

And in case you are wondering what Bill is wearing - - it's his new onesie from Joey.  The fez just adds to the glamour.

Bill painted this picture of Oona for Bret and Zoe - - Meanwhile, the real Oona tries to hide from the paparazzi.

Bill panted vases for Joey and Allie…actually it was for Joey's twin - Angry Jeffrey.

Malikai and Wyatte also got little boxes of edible bugs that Bill and I found in NYC.  Wyatte wouldn't try one but the rest of us did….Malikai won't be sprinkling crickets on his mac and cheese any time soon.

Bret gave the experience some enthusiasm but agreed they tasted pretty bad.

Even Trudi gave it a go.  End result - bugs in a little box that have probable sat on a shelf a long time don't taste very good.  

We ended the night with gigantic sparklers!  (Diane, these were the ones you gave me over the summer - I put them on the porch and forgot about them until now so they were wrapped and put under the tree for the Littles.  Unfortunately, they tended to sputter out before they burnt to the end but it was fun while it lasted.) 

Laura went to her brother's house over the holidays so we had the King of the Street staying with us.  We all get a little Christmas cat hair in our stockings as a special treat.

Speaking of special treats - - this is the big news.  Santa brought me a drum kit!!!   After several months of lessons and practicing on stacked up sofa pillows I've got some tubs of my very own!!  Bill's new nickname for me is "Sticks-twistle".   I'm sure the neighbors will be thrilled to listen to my paradiddles.

I hope all our readers had a fabulous holiday!!!