Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Right after Thanksgiving Bridget and I were shopping in Provo at an outdoor mall-ish place.  We happened by a gazebo and Santa sitting inside near a little fire pit.  Kids were lined up to sit on his lap.  I asked Bridget if she wanted to ask Santa to bring her something.  No way.  No how.  How is he going to know what you want?  Hmmmm.  We continued into a store and after about five minutes of thought she said, "I'll do it.  I won't sit on his lap and you'll stay right by me."  We came out of the store and Santa was walking away from the gazebo.  Not to worry, he walks pretty slow.  We caught up with him and he asked Bridget if she'd been good.  She has never held tighter to my hand.  She nodded yes.  "What would you like for Christmas?"  One hand squeezing the life out of my hand and the other frantically twisting her hair, "An Ariel doll."  Santa agreed to bring her an Ariel doll.  We skipped away (for real) and I was so proud of my brave girl for talking to Santa.  We were almost to the car and she said, "Now I don't have to talk to him at Grandma's!" 

Rats.

Brian's family Christmas party was last Saturday.  As always, very few of my pictures turned out because we spend most of the party in a dark basement.  But!  Before we retired to open presents I caught a few traditions.  First, turning on one (sometimes all) of the musical, moving toys that only come out at Christmas time in Grandma and Grandpa's house.

The train is probably my favorite of these moving, musical toys.  Who knows whatever happened to the singing reindeer that the kids could carry around and turn on at random by simply pinching Rudolph's ear.  Yeah.  Who knows.

This isn't a totally fair comparison because Nathan is in the foreground and naturally looking bigger, but look at his hands! 

What would a family Christmas party be without a teenager glued to his/her phone?  This is McKade.  His sister Nicolette had to tell him three times that we were saying a prayer before he understood what she was saying.  That makes me smile because I was sitting right by him and I understood her every time.

The nativity set is also tradition.  Denise had all of her children help her make it.

We ate a lovely dinner, then we opened cousin presents and sibling presents (Debbie and Hal hooked us up!  Now we'll know what the heck everyone is talking about with The Hunger Games series).  Bridget got a Rapunzel (or "Reepunzel," as she says it) doll from McKade and declares many times a day that she is now The Favorite. 

Then Dickensian Santa came.

Bridget went from sitting on Janessa's lap to my lap in record time.  I wondered how she would react.

Terrible picture, I know, but that is Bridget getting through sitting on Santa's lap.  When he asked her what she wants, she said, "A jump rope."  (Never you mind the dozen or so times she reported to people that she was getting an Ariel doll from Santa.  Or that she already has a jump rope.  Never.  You.  Mind.)

After Santa left we played The Dice Game.  Usually I'm more prepared for this game (each person brings a wrapped present, everyone takes turns rolling the dice, when you get a 7 or 11 you choose a gift, the gift can be "stolen" two times).  This year I found myself wandering Target aimlessly for a while and then I was standing, paralyzed by my imaginary list of things that need to get done, in the candy aisle.  I looked up and there was my father-in-law, Harold, also paralyzed.  Ha!  Fancy that.  While I was in line at Target I realized I was one Dice Game gift short.  I'm so glad it was Kyle that ended up with the Cheetos, Tide to Go Pen, gum, and purse tissues.  (What do all those items have in common?)

Jed and Jake after Jake had rolled a 7.  Are you thinking what I'm thinking?  "A rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting over a fire, my little wife - massaging my feet."

See?  Everyone but Dena is out-of-focus in this photo and it was literally the best one from the basement.  Sigh.  I guess we have our memories to keep us warm.