The Tingu Hunie Factor: 2013

Spurred on by recent vacationing successes, I wanted to escape for Christmas but never quite booked anything. The last time we had spent Christmas alone in the States was after the K2P2 wedding. I had enjoyed the laid-back Christmas recovering from jet-lag but knowing that I am not really a laid-back person, I knew I didn't want another ‘quiet’ Christmas.

There are times to be contemplative and times to be raucous and festive. Hunie and I certainly tend to prefer the latter almost always (after 9am) and Christmas and New Year's begs for company. Luckily having an Indian family you don’t have to beg much, even if you have moves like this (compliments of B).

We had the best of both world's this Christmas with a healthy dose of just the four of us and plenty of time with friends and family. Actually, healthy may not be the best choice of words.

They were licking and eating things right off their houses when they thought I wasn't looking!

Capturing the optimism of Christmas, we made lots of cookies to deliver to all our friends and family. More often then not, they end up forgotten in the pantry until mid-March spring cleaning.

Angry chipmunk looks continue to dominate 2013!

Valley, our elf, appeared, on schedule, December 1st and kept an eye on the boys from his various perches around the house. I think B & I had as much fun with him as the boys however that little elf got us in trouble this year!

We spent one very memorable day at the arcade. We couldn't get off the bummer cars. It was such a good time, that i kept telling B to buy another round. Finally after the 4th 'let's do it again', B should me the bill which was nearing $60!! So we called it quits after a mere 20 minutes. Highway robbery but it was great.

We headed over to Hunie's school, where we watched our little singing sensation with his extra long tie belt out the classics!

We enjoyed time with friends, old and new. The boys bond so easily at this age...or at least these four did!

At the skating ring, these boys went nuts racking up tickets. Tingu won some ticket lottery as well and just lit up before promptly buying a 900 plastic dinosaurs.

Christmas card 2014?!

The cutest snacks helper!

We got the state's best Oreo milkshakes before a little furniture shopping. The OK Cafe is one of those places that s filled with comfort food and that perfect type of 'warmth' that I crave during the holidays.

We played at home - experiments and legos and general messing about before the big day.

Minions and bombs and headless men and fire and trophies and claws..oh my!!

Not so patiently awaiting Christmas morning!

Peace on Earth

I had planned Christmas morning to be just magical for the boys (or so I thought).

We layed the ritualistic offerings to Santa and friends, watched the Santa tracker and special messages from the North pole before tucking the boys into bed.

The after-dinner mint was a nice touch!

I had this gigantic blue shiny material leading from the stairs to this glittering box from Santa.

I stood in the corner of the room, Christmas morning to capture the excitement...and they completely bypassed the path and the the bOX!! Hunie went for size:

I still a haven't watched Star Wars but it is the recent obsessions and theme for the Christmas giving!

Seriously, I am genetically incapable of ignoring something so shiny and these boys, got to this present last! I think I even had to prompt them to take a look!

There was though still one problem. Hunie told Valley, the Elf, he wanted a train set and Valley did not deliver. B & I tried to explain that perhaps because he already had 4 of them, Valley was trying to encourage something new....Valley's going to need to be a little more vocal next year!