Well, my family just returned home from what can only be described as one of the best family christmases ever. Why? First of all, if asked what I did over the trip, my first response would be “absolutely nothing”…unless you count eating great food, sleeping plenty, words with friends (aka scrabble), and being babied one last time before the real baby comes. Despite the long drive up north, I always look forward to going home for the holidays. We somehow manage to split the time up with both families and everybody’s happy. If I had to choose my top 5 memorable moments of the week, these would be them:
1. I had a bunch of “proud mommy” moments watching my daughter Leila truly exhibit the spirit of the holiday. I was amazed at how not only was she able to find joy in giving presents to others, but she graciously and humbly accepted all that she was given. Every single gift garnered a dramatic gasp or excited scream. Needless to say, every gift giver felt great. Plus, on our ride home, she even randomly blurted out without us asking, “Mommy and Daddy, I loved all of my presents!”
2. Along those same lines, I witnessed the hilarious debate between my mom in law and Leila over who actually gave her a bicycle for Christmas – my mother in law or Santa Claus. It was a gift from my mom in law, in case you were wondering. 🙂
3. I was given the atrocious nickname “pregasaurous” by my cousin and FOR ONCE, a nickname did not stick in my family (for more on atrocious nicknames from my family, read this)
4. My mom and I did not get into a single argument (which is a pretty big deal considering as much as we love each other, we are 2 of a kind)
5. I saw The Lion King for the first time. Yes, I know it’s a classic and No, I really had never seen it! Side note: what did other parents tell their kids when Simba’s dad died? Sorry, I wasnt ready for that conversation, so we left it as “Yes Leila, Simba’s dad is sleeping.” Love the movie though!
In all, it was a great and very relaxing trip and I almost did not want to come back! I know we won’t be able to take another road trip for a while with baby # 2 coming, but at least we can enjoy these memories for the next few months.
[…] few years ago here on this blog, I shared one of my most memorable experiences from our Christmas vacation with our family back home. It was the first time my oldest daughter Leila and I saw The Lion […]