Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Oh what a night!

We started our day with a fun time at the playground with Skylar. It was in the 60s so the boys were able to wear summer clothes! (Again...mother nature off her meds.)

Ummmm, have I mentioned my niece is BEAUTIFUL?  Evan caught these shots of her.

We started our Christmas Eve party at 5:30 with a visit from the International Space Station. Nonna gets alerts on her phone when the ISS is visible to us. It was such a clear (and warm) night that we were able to watch the ISS move all the way across the sky. I am sure my neighbors thought we were absolute nuts standing outside, waving and yelling MERRY CHRISTMAS into the sky. Who am I kidding? My neighbors already know I am nuts.

I needed about half an hour for our food to finish cooking, so we took off on a walking tour of the neighborhood. You remember how amazing the VP did for Halloween?? Christmas was no different!

Let's just say, I've never dressed my kids in SHORTS and FLIP FLOPS on Christmas Eve.

When we got home and filled our bellies, we kicked the party into high gear! General merriment!

This was very serious investigation of the alcohol content of Root Beer...or was it calories....or the government warning. You had to be there.
 

 
  

Then Luke took the camera again. That kids has a serious future behind the camera!

And then it was PRESENT TIME!!

 

And then there was the obligatory bow picture. Nonna has a tradition of her own. For the past EIGHT years Evan has sat in Nonna's lap with a bow on their head. This was the first year Evan balked at the idea of sitting on Nonna's lap for the picture. It broke both our hearts. Evan, being the good natured kid he is, agreed to take the picture....but you can see the disdain on his face. Luke wanted to be in the picture, but refused the bow. <sigh> I don't want them to grow up.

We ended the night with the kids like we do every year by throwing reindeer food. This was the first year neither boy came home with reindeer food from school. So about 10:15 I am rooting around in my pantry trying to find something to put together in baggies for each of the kids. Note to self...buy glitter.
 

Later in the night, after the kids were in bed, we played a uh....interesting....round of Cards Against Humanity. All I can say is that I married the most horrible person. There is now proof.