This weekend was so slow and nice and easy. Andrew was out of town for a few days at the end of last week, so when he returned late Friday night all he wanted to do was relax and enjoy some down time — which was fine by me! Having the boys home for winter break is such a treat. They enjoyed a pajama half-day at school on Friday, and when I picked them up they were beaming from ear to ear (well, except for Milo, but he perked up pretty fast!). They all love their school, but we were all missing each other a little bit, so it will be nice to have all the time in the world together until January.
Friday afternoon I took the boys over to my best buddy’s house so we could join forces without our husbands, letting the kids exchange gifts and eat pizza and play together while we hung out laughing and chatting in the kitchen. It was such a nice impromptu gathering, making me remember how grateful I am for her friendship and her presence in my life. Good friends are just priceless. Plus, Emil kept us laughing hard as he yelled at the top of his lungs into a toy phone about the injustices of the world; when we asked him who he was so angry at, he promptly answered: “The white man.” Ha! Oh, dear. He also, obviously, wore a Santa hat from Thursday night until Sunday night straight. And he did the dishes while wearing it:
The boys surprised us by being mostly calm and studious, working from craft to craft all weekend long, producing paintings and drawings, Christmas ornaments, gifts, and elaborate bottle cap designs, then trading and playing with them. And the holidays are officially in full swing now that we’ve watched Christmas Vacation by the fire. I was impressed that Emil held the above position throughout the entire film. 
Really feeling loved and grateful for our friends, who kept dropping by unexpectedly with presents and delicious food on Sunday! Thanks Elisha, Ingrid, and Kim! I love you ladies!
Hope this Monday finds you happy, healthy, and full of holiday cheer!
Thank you, Lauren, for reminding me to be just this: thankful, especially at this time of year, when a lot of time is spent rushing, running, spending money, for what’s essential to me: a happy family and great friends. Thank you also for your wonderful blog. It’s always a delight to read your posts. Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year, and please, please keep blogging and writing. Best wishes from Germany.
Those bottle caps are great! That’s quite the colorful and varied collection. Ditto on the gratitude for great friends.