Oscar and Sonja with baby Kaia
Evelyn had games for the kids, and she put all their names in a spinning wheel, so Grandpa held up his laptop, and we watched the wheel spin, and each time it landed on a grandchild's name, we clapped for them, and they thought they won a prize, but it was their turn to get their secret Santa gift.
It did get loud, and there were some meltdowns, but thankfully only from the kids, ha. There was a good spirit here, and it was so much fun. I wish I could go back and do it all over again. It wasn't without trials though, I can't do the things I see needing done, and I can be picky about the details when explaining and asking for help. So the girls sometimes give me a hard time, but overall, they were amazing. They did everything. Nate made fried dumplings, and Emily brought chili verde, and there was so much other food...cookies and fudge and cake.
The kids bought Paul a really nice warm jacket, and we got him these cool compression socks with a rubber sole to wear around the house. He got me a countertop ice maker, and a Shark hand held vacuum for the couches and stairs, and little messes, it's great. The kids got me an Ember mug, and I cannot even describe how wonderful it is to have even the last sip of coffee piping hot! You program it with your phone to your desired temp. Where was this like twenty years ago when I was knee deep in small children? Hot coffee then was like the first sip, then I was lucky I could remember where I put the mug, jumping up to deal with things.
Anyway. I bought 12 bags of locally roasted coffee, which Emily picked up for me last week, for the kids. She bought some too, and with Mariel made bags for us and the families, with local maple syrup, locally milled pancake mix, the coffee, and bacon, such a good idea! We dug into ours on Christmas morning. I did end up having something to give to everyone, but it never seems like enough. Slippers, gloves, Norwegian chocolate, candles...I got Suze and Zech a candle warmer, and a new electric kettle for Kathryn. Lotions and perfumes and lip things, socks...a baby scrapbook for Sonja for little Kaia.
The girls got new scrapbooks too, and a printer to print photos from their phones, and lots of film for it, as well as clothes, perfumes, mittens, jammies.
The most fun was giving the gifts to the grandkids. Also, the games Evelyn organized were so funny...she dumped a pile of gift wrap bows on the coffee table, and each child took a turn with a bowl and a spatula, blindfolded, to see how many "hot cookies" they could get in the bowl without using their other hand to help get them on the spatula. She played a game where she sat them all down, gave them plastic cups (which several of them proceeded to crush and ask for a new one?!), then had them close their eyes while she passed out Fruity Pebbles candy bites, or sour candy, or whatever she had gotten from the dollar store, and they ate it and shouted out what it was...not really rhyme or reason, but so much for the kids, and...candy! Evelyn is an excellent Auntie.
We did have a new baby born into the family too, but I am not going to say anything else, as they haven't announced it yet...she is doing well though! :). Eighteen grandchildren now! :).
Ah well...you all have a really nice day...we are getting snow and more snow later today into tomorrow...brrr!!!!
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