Christmas 2012

I don't have many snapshots of the day, which we savored slowly, and those I do have are of questionable artistic quality, but I'm giving them, anyway, mainly because of everyone's absolute delight with their mechanical toothbrushes.

 John's mom sent up a box of gifts to save for Christmas as well as trinkets for the girls to enjoy immediately. I wasn't sure in which camp the mechanical toothbrushes belonged, so I wrapped them up and stuffed them into the tops of their stockings, where they jauntily bobbed heads with candy canes and Christmas pops.

I don't think the girls knew such things existed, and they were completely entranced.

After I told Piper to stop brushing her hair with the toothbrush, she enjoyed it properly.

Zeke didn't care about the toothbrushes.  He had no teeth.

Each time a daughter grows proficient enough to read well, John and I give her a Bible.  Su had been waiting anxiously for hers.  

Millie's gift to me (candy!) was wrapped so sweetly.  

Grandma Owen gave the most whimsical jewelry boxes to the older girls.  They were just the ticket for storing the tacky clip-on earrings I got at a rummage sale and saved for their stockings.  They loved them.  ("Here are some clip-on earrings, girls, compliments of the 80-year old who decided to clean out her jewelry box.")

Oh, look-- it's a picture of our Christmas ham.  How fascinating.

Here's a late evening picture of Annie opening part of my mom's gift (she made all the grandchildren appropriately printed pillowcases this year and wrapped them around a new, fluffy pillow.  Note-- Annika is still wearing her clip-ons.

Should I try to end this weird post in a tidy fashion?  Make it relevant and less scattered?  Clever or heart-warming?

Naw.

THE END.