As usual, we spent the holidays in Texas. Pumpkin and I flew home a couple of weeks before Christmas, and QT drove down a week later to meet us there. The kids weren't out of school yet so our first week at home was a quiet one. I did manage to take the girls and Pumpkin to the Children's Museum and to the mall to ride the carousel during the week.
My family celebrates on Christmas Eve. We've tried to start a bit earlier in the past couple of years so that we don't have to keep the littlest ones awake too long past midnight. This year, QT & I took the kids caroling so we were at it by about 6 or 7pm. Our plan was to visit my sisters' homes (the kids' parents) and possibly some of the grandparents if time permitted, but we were a bit disorganized and got off to a late start so we were only able to hit 2 houses. Anne's and Mom's b/c the Man's got tired of waiting for us to arrive and just met us at Mom's. We'd forewarned everyone that carolees would be expected to hand out goodies to the carolers so we got cookies, hot chocolate, and cupcakes. Yum!!! Despite our late start and delays, we had a lot of fun, and the kids looked soooo cute (with the exception of the surly 12-year old punk, of course ;).
Sadly, Christmas Eve was the last day we got on film b/c someone (ahem) misplaced my camera and didn't find it again until it was almost our departure date. So, Pumpkin's Polar Express birthday party almost went undocumented. For shame! Luckily, we were able to use another camera to snap a few photos of the festivities.
MKZ closed down right before the holidays, and so with a dearth of economical places to hold birthday parties, we elected to have Pumpkin's Polar Express party at the local Embassy Suites, where QT & I had booked a room using points he'd accumulated from work travel. We went swimming in the indoor pool while some of the older persons in our party chose instead to take advantage of the free buffet and drinks at the ES, hehe. After swimming, our plan was to have everyone change into pj's and settle in for a screening of the Polar Express movie. What is it they say about plans? As it turns out, suites at the Embassy Suites don't come equipped with DVD players. (we also forgot cutlery and napkins, candles for the cake, and even a knife!!) Wah wah wahhhhh
Instead, the kids made do listening to a recorded reading of the Polar Express, which Chela had lent me from her library. (QT read his own version to the adults in the other room and garnered the rapt attention of at least one listener.) And, thanks to Sebastian's aunts & uncles, who went out for the pizza, ran to the store for cutlery and napkins, and even snagged us a knife from the hotel dining room, we somehow pulled it off. (We owe ya!!!)
So, we went swimming. We had pizza, cake, and hot chocolate. We listened to a reading of the Polar Express. We watched Pumpkin open his gifts. Then, the party was over! It was an interesting experience having a kid's party in a hotel room, hehe. It was fun, but I'm not sure we'll be doing THAT again.
