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!