Christmas Day

Our Christmas Tree

We had a wonderful Christmas. On Christmas Eve we had fondue and lots of white wine. We opened presents from family that we would usually spend Christmas Eve with, the Fosters and Ritualos. The boys had a great time. Later in the evening, we set cookies out for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. In the morning, they were gone and stockings were filled and Santa left presents for Aidan and Leo. They must have been very, very good. On Christmas morning the boys woke up around 7:30am--a respectable hour--and ran downstairs to see if Santa had come. He did!!! Leo got a RC Jumbo Jet and Aidan got a Nintendo DS. After Aidan opened his DS game Oma asked, "Did you ask Santa for any games?" Aidan's face went long and serious and he sadly said, "no." No matter because his family came through for him and Grandpa Russ and Grandma Joan and Pa and Crow got him some new games so he was set.

Aidan and Jason playing the DS

Leo was very excited opening presents. Every time he opened a toy he had to take time to open it and play with it. The first toy he opened was Mater the Greater from Grandpa Russ and Grandma Joan--which required lots of assembly--but he loves playing with it. Uncle Marc kept teasing the boys that they were going to get underwear and socks. When Aidan finally opened the underwear that crow got him he couldn't believe it and he yelled "Uncle Marc, look I got underwear!" When Leo opened his underwear (Thomas the Train) he threw them down and said he hated underwear! Little do they know that getting underwear from Pa and Crow is a tradition!

Aunt Cindy looking a her new cookbook and Bramwell sniffing around for something exciting.

After we opened presents from the Holmas we took a bit of a break to have Cinnamon Rolls and pumpkin bread. We make Cinnamon Rolls because Grandma Joan always made Cinnamon Rolls for us in the morning. Oma loved the house sign mom found at the Puyallup fair that says, "Oma and Opa's house"-they couldn't believe you found it and look forward to putting it up on their house. I got a new camera which was exciting and these pictures are from my new camera. I still have a lot to learn about using it. On a side note, the users manual comes on a CD and not in paper which means I am much less likely to learn how to use it! The camera was one of the last presents I opened which is why I have so few pictures of opening presents! I also got an Edward and Bella "New Moon" fuzzy blanket. Good one mom! Aidan hates it!

Christmas Dinner at the grown up table: Jandan (our neighbor), A. Cindy, U. Marc, Oma, Jason and Opa

We had a wonderful dinner of spiral honey ham, Aunt Pam's yummy potatoes, Unyun's Green Bean surprise and salad. We had good music, good food, and good company. We had a lovely Christmas. I missed so much the rest of our family. The boys really, really loved opening your presents and I wish you ALL could be here to watch them open them and see the excitement. We are so lucky to have such a large and loving family. Thank you so much!! We are forever grateful for your love and kindness.

Christmas dinner at the kids tables!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful, happy Christmas. Enjoy the next two days. Drink and be Merry!

We have had a great couple of days. Oma and Opa were here over the weekend and they left on Monday to head back to Richmond after the big snow storm. We have been making cookies for Santa and will frost them tonight. We finished all of our shopping and shopped for all of the food for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We will have fondue tonight and Ham and Aunt Pam Cooney's famous potatoes.

The other night Leo and Aidan were going to bed in Aidan's bed and Aidan fell asleep immediately. Leo was tossing and turning because he took a late nap. He was being very good and trying very hard to sleep. Finally, I asked him if we wanted to lay by me and he said "yes". I was sitting at the edge of Aidan's bed reading my book (Eclipse, the third in the Twilight series). Leo looks up at my thoughtfully and said, "Is Santa going to land on our roof?" I said, "yes, he is going to land his sleigh on our roof." He then asked me, "do we need to make a present for Santa?" I said, "we don't make him a present but we will make him cookies and leave carrots for his reindeer." He then thoughtfully asked me if we would leave the cookies and carrots outside. I told him we would leave them by the fireplace because Santa would come down the chimney. Leo said, "okay" and fell asleep.

Last night we talked with Pa and Crow they said that we could open a present this Christmas Eve morning. Leo told Pa and Crow "no, not until Santa comes!" He was very adamant about not opening any presents until Santa came. We all convinced him that we should open one of Pa and Crow's presents. He finally agreed and said, "that sounds fine to me." This morning we each opened a present. I got a really cute Georgetown sweatshirt, Jason got two bath towels (ha!), Leo got a batman car, and Aidan got a star wars lego set. Leo ran around saying, "I love it, I love it, I love it!" He said he was going "play with it all day!"

I had to work half a day today so I left home at around 7:45am and the boys came down to work at lunch and we had lunch together with Sarah, Kevin and Liam (great friends from work). Liam is about 6 months and completely and utterly adorable with his soft, smooth skin and beautiful big blue eyes and fuzzy hair. After work we went to the botanical gardens to see the train display. They always have an amazing train display and beautiful poinsettias.

Barb, Dennis, Marc, Cindy and Bramwell are all heading up to our house now. Aidan and Jason are putting together Aidan bazillion piece lego star wars ship and Leo just woke up from a nap and is playing with his batman car.

On our way home from work we were reminiscing about Christmas Eve days. It is interesting that when I think back to Christmas Eve days I remember memories from long ago and not recent memories. I think of working at Foster Office Equipment and the employee party we used to have with Mom's chili, Auntie Mickey's deviled eggs and family and friends stopping by to say Merry Christmas. We would get off work early and get ready to go to Auntie Pam's house were we would eat good food and laugh until our stomachs hurt. After that we would walk across the street to Dad and Joan's and celebrate the way only the Ritualo family knows how to celebrate...lots of good food, desserts really since we came so late (Uncle Fred!), good drinks, lots of presents, and lots of laughs. I wonder what memories Aidan and Leo will have when they are 36 like me.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas filled with lots of fun and laughs.

We are sad that we are not with you. Miss you all!

Snow Update

Well it looks like we now have about 20 inches!

Snow, Snow, and More and More and More Snow

Yahowza! It is snowing so much! The snow started at about 9pm last night and has not really let up. It is supposed to continue through tomorrow morning. Right now (on Saturday, at 2:05pm) we have about 15 inches. They say we should get 14-20 inches! They have been talking about this snow storm for the last couple of days. They said, "it's a record breaker!" By "they" I mean the weather people on the news. Now, I love, love, love the snow. It is so beautiful, lights up the sky, and there is nothing more fun than playing in the snow.

Aidan laying in the snow. The boys liked laying in the snow. They also liked to purposefully fall down in the snow.

Last night was our 10th Anniversary. Yes. I said, "10th Anniversary!" (I am getting to the snow story). Oma and Opa are here so Jason and I went out to dinner. We went to the Blue Duck Tavern in the Park Hyatt Hotel. It was a delicious meal and wonderful dining experience. Jason had the braised beef short rib and I had the crab cakes. For dessert, we both had ice cream. Jason had vanilla with homemade caramel sauce and I had the mascarpone fig ice cream. It was superb! Thanks to Cha for the recommendation! Oh and no big deal but the restaurant is also where the Obama's celebrated their anniversary. Back to the snow...in one second. I have the best husband in whole entire world. I couldn't be more happy with our marriage. I feel so lucky that Jason picked me to spend the rest of his life with. Okay SNOW...after dinner around 9pm it started to snow and we decided to go the shopping mall to pick a few last minute things without the boys. We stayed for about an hour and when we left, already the ground and the main roads where covered in snow. The big red car did not do so well in the snow. The tires were spinning and spinning up the hill and we were barely moving. I was a little worried that we would not make it home. But we did, thank you big red car.



Jason is doing the hand measurement on the back of the car.

Today the boys went out in the snow. They must have stayed out there for 1.5 hours. In some places the snow was up to Leo's knees. They threw snowballs at Jason and went sledding. Jason went down with Leo and I went down we Aidan. We laughed the whole way down. The sledding hill was about a 20 degree decline and then had about 75 degree decline between two trees ending in front of the tennis court fence. After the first run Leo declared that he wanted to go by himself. I said, "no" because it's too steep and he could run into a tree or the fence but he kept begging to go so I finally gave in. He and Aidan did it all by themselves! It was hilarious. They can be fearless sometimes.

Snow on the back porch at about 2pm.

Oma and Opa were planning to go back down to Richmond tomorrow. I don't think they will make it. Let's see what Monday looks like!

Yeah...SNOW!!!

Spelling Tests

Aidan's first grade class started weekly spelling tests. The tests are on Friday! He had his first one on December 11. He practiced all week long. His teacher sends a weekly packet which include daily assignments to practices like alphabetizing the words and practice tests (on Thursdays).

He got a 100 on his first test! He did so good and they were a little tricky like including "their" and "there" - on his first test! We are so proud of him. It has been a learning process for his parents as well. We learned that Aidan is a bit of a perfectionist. When he practices and he misspells a word he gets very frustrated and says, "I just want to get it right!" Gosh, where in the world does he get that from? It's a mystery.

It's also been a new challenge in parenting because we want to encourage him and tell him to study hard and do great but then we don't want him to feel too disappointed if he does end up getting one (or (gasp!) two) wrong. On his second spelling test this week he also said he got all of them right. He has done really, really great and we are super proud of him!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

It is snowing here! It snowed pretty much all day. It was a very wet snow but it started to stick to the ground and the roads after about an hour or two. At about 4pm DC time it stopped snowing and now it is very wet and slightly rainy. Even still the boys played in the snow and had a snow ball fight and after, some hot chocolate.

We also as you can see from Leo's picture below painted the bathroom. Leo rubbed up against the wet paint and got paint in his hair and on his sleeve. The boys are great painters and good workers. Jason had to work today--in this crazy weather.

Also Leo wanted to take a picture of the blue toilet water. Who doesn't want a picture of blue toilet water really? It is rather artistic! Enjoy!

Pink Glove Dance

I thought this video was great. It is for Breast Cancer Awareness and was put together by Providence St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, Oregon.

Thanks Joan for sharing!