The Buschelmans love Christmas! We love it and talk about it and plan for it months in advance. Dom and I had a conversation on how to best appreciate all of the gifts we receive on a run back in early October. We decided we needed to open gifts over a few days so that the lovely pair of socks we get towards the end are not completely lost in all of the excitement of...say...a Nintendo Switch...hypothetically speaking, of course.
But, the mountain of gifts our generous family showers on us is just one part of the celebration of Christmas in our house. We decorate, plan movie nights (Aside from the numerous Hallmark movies I sneak from time to time, our favorites are Elf, Home Alone, Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life (first time viewing for the kids this year), and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer...I think I stayed awake for all of the Grinch and Elf...the others I succumbed to warm bodies snuggled up against mine and I defy anyone else not to), game nights, sing carols, read books, and count down the days in numerous ways. Also, we light the candles of the Advent wreath and sing 'O Come Emmanuel' before dinner.
The kids really enjoy singing carols. We don't necessarily plan a specific night of singing...I just sit down and start playing and they show up. Eric gives me a pass on dishes because he enjoys hearing me play...I can only assume he has never heard anyone else play. But, whatever...I'll take the excuse to get out of KP.
We also swap out our dishes for Christmas themed ones. My sister, Mitzi, sent me this mug in late Thanksgiving...it is perfect!
We also splurged this year and purchased Christmas sweaters for each of us. We had just been making them for the last several years, but we've been invited to enough sweater themed parties...we figured it was time.
Let me take a moment and say I am categorically opposed to buying 'ugly' sweaters, but I made an exception for Buddy the Elf. It is the perfect sweater for Eric. And I found mine at Goodwill...also, the perfect sweater (and perfect price). Dom was even able to wear mine to his Boy Scout Christmas Party. He looked like a sitcom character from the 80s. #NailedIt
Several years ago, I bought a 4 pack of Christmas puzzles. A couple years later, I actually completed one and put contact paper over it for a placemat. This year, we completed a second...with a third underway. Banner year for the Buschelman family in the puzzle department.
My family singing acapella...I'm probably doing dishes...no, wait...I took the picture. Phew!
John loved decorating and wanted to help in any way he could. I came into the room early one morning, and he was just staring at the tree. 4 is a pretty magical year for Christmas...though so are 7, 10, and 12...and 36 and 37...and over 60...
For the first time, we got to host people for Christmas. Eric's parents asked if they could join us and our answer was a resounding 'YES'!! At one point, they offered to stay at a hotel...but, that would have completely defeated the point of being here for Christmas. The good memories come early Christmas Morning and in the late night as you just sit quietly together remembering all of the events of the day.
We have traditions for our traditions, but this year we maybe added another couple. We do observe Advent and do our best to keep Jesus at the forefront of our celebration preparations...but, it can be difficult. I was having a little bit of an anxiety attack a few days before Christmas and mentioned to Eric I didn't feel we had done enough to make sure Jesus was the center of our focus. As it turned out, I requested The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever from the library, and not only did our kids laugh so hard they fell of the couch...it really put the whole day in perspective and helped me to re-focus on what was truly important. For three nights in a row, we gathered in our front room and Eric read aloud. Making us all laugh, but also helping to us to appreciate what Christmas is all about. Charlie Brown and The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever...who knew!
On the 23rd, Grandma and Grandpa arrived. Eric took the kids to pick them up at the airport and I got a whole 60 minutes all to myself. It's crazy how much you can get accomplished. We also took advantage of the bring a buddy to Six Flags program and took in the lights and funnel cake and bumper cars and a few roller coasters. Because, why not?
On the 24th, we made sugar cookies and had our traditional Christmas Eve meal of Rouladen.
Pretty sure we nailed the decorations. I loved that I could tell exactly which ones John decorated. I also loved that the kids started to get more creative with their cut outs. (This year there was a dinosaur foot, volcano, and Mr. Pac Man)
Dom and Will were scheduled to serve 7:30 PM Mass on Christmas Eve, which is the latest we have been for a while. At first, I wasn't sure about our evening schedule, but having dinner early and everything cleaned up before Mass was a wonderful way to head into Christmas Eve Mass.
We came home, finished The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Grandma and Will played Christmas Carols (Note, all dishes had been completed before Mass), and then we had the reading of The Night Before Christmas. The kids all went to bed relatively tired as we had made them run an obstacle course numerous times earlier in the day. #protip
And Grandma and I watched one more Hallmark Movie before retiring to bed.
Christmas Morning dawned early for some, but not as early as some would like. We were awaken to the excited yells of 'CANDY!!' and 'SANTA BROUGHT US KIT KATS!!!!' And, so, it was shown that if you are visiting for Christmas, you should definitely be in the house Christmas morning! Or you might miss out on KIT KATS!!!!
After the first round of presents, the day had already been declared the best Christmas ever!! Molly and Grandma made me a nice warm scarf, Molly also got me a nice warm blanket and nice warm slippers.
Santa brought Dom a dry erase Tournament Bracket...GENIUS!!
For the first time, the kids did sibling gifts. I gave them a 'no more than $20' limit for all presents and they were creative and thoughtful. Some of the highlights: Dom got twix and oreos, John got a noisy gun, ninjas that stick to the wall and climb down, and dinosaurs, Will got a rubix cube and Hogwarts water bottle, and Molly got a sketch book, reindeer slippers, and a Harry Potter lego (it was actually the only lego received this year).
We did spread out the gift opening a couple of days. I think my favorite gift all of the kids received were their new Jayhawk stocking caps from Nana and L'Opa.
Not only are they fashionable, but this means I can keep the temperature low in the house. #winning
Our friends also gave us a 3D artwork of Allen Fieldhouse...how did we not already own this??
The boys got books that they immediately wanted to read...which was a good time to end gift opening for a while.
Or maybe it was when John disappeared to set up his new army men and tanks...in the front hall. Such a really great place to set up little army men. You know, so everyone can walk through them and really experience the battle first hand...or foot.
The rest of Christmas day was spent just being together.
We had a fire going outside for most of the day, the kids played with their new toys which included bows and arrows, magnetic building toys, a magic penny kit, and an American History Trivia game that Will and I dominated.
Molly and Grandpa swapped mystery messages back and forth. Grandma got in on the action a little later as well.
And I tried on my new scarves. Last year I got socks, this year I got scarves. And I love them all! I just need to figure out a way to keep Molly from stealing my scarves like she started stealing my socks...
Just when we thought all was done, we discovered one last present for John...or was it?
On December 26th, we ventured out into the blue skies and traveled to downtown DC. We walked through the conservatory of the Botanical Gardens. William and Molly loved looking at all of the plants with Grandma, John loved spotting dinosaurs hidden among the plants, and I loved coming around the corners spotting Dom and Grandpa sitting on the bench deep in conversation. Made me think of the time we went to an Art Museum in London. Will and Eric were enjoying all of the paintings...and Grandpa and Dom were content to wait.
Also, I found the Cacao Tree. Apparently, I have a reputation about chocolate. Someday, remind me to document the time Eric and I went to the Officer's Club for Sunday Brunch and there was a chocolate fountain...
After the conservatory, we enjoyed milling around the front lawn of our Nation's Capitol Building. And seeing the giant Christmas Tree.
I don't have a picture handy, but we also paid a brief visit to the Air Force Monument. Between you and me, we have seen it from the highway many times, and I was never impressed. Just looks like three things sticking up in the air. However, when I got out of the car and walked towards it, my breath was taken away by the panoramic view of our Nation's Capital (Note spelling difference from earlier use of the word Capitol...I hope I got those correct). Arlington National Cemetery is also within view of the monument. So, if you are reading this and come to visit, hopefully we can take you to this site.
Later that night, after supper was cleaned up and kids were ready for bed, Eric lit candles on our Christmas tree. Real live candles on our real live Christmas Tree. It is something my parents have done for years in the German Tradition. As a child, I didn't fully appreciate the peacefulness of sitting and watching candles burn until they extinguish themselves. But, that evening it was a wonderful way to slow down and contemplate the day and season. I mean...we weren't going anywhere with lit candles on our wooden tree. And the kids came up and joined us as one by one the candles went out. Hopefully, this is a tradition we can continue. But, we have to have a tree that is still drinking water...we have had many a fire in our pit with dried out Christmas Trees and there is no way we would ever put candles on those.
On the 27th, Grandma and Grandpa played a couple of games, we had leftovers for lunch, took a walk, and then took them to the airport. But, not before one more selfie!
I again stayed home and had 2 hours to myself. During which time I made quite a bit of progress at getting our house back to some semblance of order.
Molly came in from saying good bye to Grandma and Grandpa with a sad face and a "I miss them already!"...But, that is always a good thing. Means it was a great visit.
After a pretty busy, but extremely enjoyable (and late) few days, it was time to just have a quiet evening and get to bed by 8 PM!
With just a few more books to read to cap off the 3rd Day of Christmas.
And because we like to celebrate all 12 Days of the Season, we aren't even halfway through! I have loads of Hallmark Movies on the DVR and we have little plans and gifts for each day. Not the least of which are Eric's and Molly's Birthdays.
But, it has been a truly wonderful Christmas so far and we are so glad we got to share it with Grandma and Grandpa. Merry Christmas to all that have read this far and a very Happy New Year!
It has been a couple of months since I posted. I normally look at various pictures I have taken and just write about those events. But, I have taken so many pictures, I don't know if I would ever catch up, so I may just start posting random stories again. Particularly of things I don't want to forget in the years to come...as long as the internet and this blog still exist.
As a homeschooling family, I have been able to witness my children learn to read. Dom I taught completely, struggling over words that looked similar and finally getting over the hurdle of sounding out to fluency. Will was a bit more self taught though I sat with him on the couch sounding out words in the earliest stages. Molly was much more independent in her learning as she had taken speech lessons for a couple of years and was a pro at phonetics. One day, she read the Chick-Fil-A bag and we realized she was literate. And for the record, once your child can read, homeschooling multiple children becomes much easier (as long as they have a healthy fear of your reaction to them not completing assignments...)
John is in the early stages of his literacy. He, more than any of the others, has a love of letters. When we went to England, I packed a small bag of little toys and foam letters for him to play with on the plane. It was a huge success. He would pull out the letters and tell me what they were or ask which was which. He was 2 at the time. I always tell anyone who asks that they should pay attention to what interests their children and find as many books on that topic as possible at the library. For years now, I have checked out as many alphabet books as I can find from the library. (Guess what John's Christmas book gift is about?)
This is not the book, but he wanted this book read to him over and over and over again...huh, probably should have gotten him this book...ah well. It is still at the library.
Probably the first word John could read was his name. He gets a lot of practice of seeing his name. As movie credits roll, we look for all of the children's names...guess who wins? Will generally comes in second. For the record...I don't think I've ever made the score board in this particular competition.
One day, Eric walked in to rinse John during his bath and discovered this complete sentence on the wall. Molly has taught John some smaller words and he is an eager pupil. Actually, all three older kids are happy to put off their own lessons to teach John new things...like how to duel with a light saber. (Dom prefers handling PE)
Having spent so much time looking at letters, he is really good at finding words within words. Especially favorite words. The best example of this was one day he was staring at a Dunkin Donut Box and excitedly alerted me to the fact he saw KU! I have been eating Dunkin Donuts for years and never spotted this...Neither had Dominic...which makes me question if we love donuts more than KU basketball...
This is all leading up to one day in October as I read a chapter book to the others ('Jack', A novel length telling of Jack and the Beanstalk), and John is staring intently at the pages and realizing all of the letters make up individual words. He and I read a couple of paragraphs together where he reads all of the small words and I read all of the larger words. The other three weren't thrilled with this jarring version of the story, but I was. Our little boy is on the cusp of literacy. And he is not intimidated by a page full of words in small type. It actually took me longer than it should have to realize I needed to read something a bit more age appropriate....like Go Dog Go! with him, but it was an exciting realization all the same.
I don't want to forget these afternoons of him leaning against me asking where the words "Oh, No!" are or his excitedly pointing out words he recognizes. These are all mainly small sight words for now, but he is starting to sound words out and I know it won't be long before he will be reading as well as his siblings. Luckily, the rest of them and I have rediscovered our love of reading aloud this fall, so I am hoping the days of reading on the couch all snuggled together aren't as numbered as I might once have thought.
