how i spent my christmas morning

this is the picture we stuck on our holiday card. do you see us all looking at the camera? do you see that? isn't it amazing? i nearly hugged the gentleman who took the picture. granted, it's at the end of a hike and seth's in his pajamas (not lazy mothering, it was cold out and his pajamas are his warmest article of clothing. although you can blame lazy mothering if you'd like) and ava looks unpleasant. but lately, she's almost always unpleasant in pictures. my camera has ruined so much for her. if she keeps this up, her prom pictures are going to be horrific.

christmas was spent at home this year. by ourselves. both sad and happy, i'd say. i missed my brother's excitement. i think that ava needed their enthusiasm and experience to help her get into the groove of things. because the first five minutes she stared at the tent santa brought her with a look of suspicion. had my brother's been there she would have leapt headfirst into the tent and started pushing everyone else out. so eventually, she got it (i think when i pointed out that santa had given her a candy cane). but then all she wanted was the candy cane and i was dying to get her to open a present. so i took the candy cane away and appeased her tears and shouts of protest with a present. that's right, i'm a mean mommy. our house after the meager amount of christmas spirit we'd mustered had passed:



and of course, a shot of the tent:


now that ava "gets it", she loves the tent. way to buy a present, santa. and of course, a stocking picture (note the candy cane):

and seth, who mostly had presents opened for him and when presented with his presents, gamely gave them a few swats before settling back down (naked) with his daddy: