"Narry Kinnis!"

Bow-adorned Cael poses with the gifts from Auntie, Uncle Ray, and his Davis cousins.
He loves the Play-Doh, Cars' slippers, and the candy. He's also sporting the new pajamas he got on Christmas Eve from Mom and Dad.

Little Schroeder tickles his new ivories, aka a keyboard from Mom and Dad.

I am the luckiest boy alive.

Aunt Julie has made his life with the Handy Manny workbench.
Dad and Cael made this birdhouse using the blueprint and materials provided.

CHRISTMAS:
1. Woke Cael up. Opened presents. From Santa: Treats in stocking; book; gloves to play in the snow; Mickey Mouse Clubhouse IXL game; of course, SNOW on Christmas Eve Eve day
From Mom and Dad: book, puzzles, memory game, along with keyboard
2. Breakfast at Gramma's
3. Church: Cael cried upon finding out he would not be going to class/nursery that day.
4. Woodruff to visit family... More gifts: LeapFrog toy from Aunt Kirsti and Jalen; money from Grandma and from Great-grandpa; Handy Manny toy from Aunt Julie
5. Holbrook to visit more family: Still more gifts: From Aunt Amber and Uncle Chad - cute outfit of pants, sweater, and shirt... From Grandpa and Grandma - soccer ball, football, and basketball; new outfit of pants, shirt, and vest; pop-up book; two movies
6. Home, sweet, home and to all a good night

7. Addendum: On Tuesday, we were taking down the Christmas decorations, and Cael exclaimed, with a pout, "Me want Kinnas back!" We all do, buddy. We all do.

And there were shepherds abiding in their fields...

One of our family's Christmas Eve traditions is to have the kids play the parts of the nativity scene while I read an abbreviated version of the Christmas story. This year, Cael was the shepherd, a fitting part since he always steals Great-grandpa's cane, and Gramma happens to have a crook look-alike from a play vanity. A hooded towel, Mom's headband, and a stuffed sheep rounded out the outfit.

Cael took his job seriously, as one can see in the top picture, hugging his sheep as he gazed upon the baby Jesus (newborn cousin Emmie) below. After the play concluded, Cael did not want to take off his "coshume," leaving it on until we went to carol and look at lights in the back of Uncle Shane's pickup. It was only 28 degrees. We were crazy to go out on that cold clear night, but we made frozen-faced memories. Isn't that what it's all about?

Thank you, Santa

Well, this is the second year in a row that Cael's parents have sought out Santa on Christmas Eve to take their son to sit on the jolly old one's lap and get the annual picture. (What happened to that teacher Suzanne who was so well-planned and organized and would have had this task completed by early December? I, for one, would like to find her again.)

Needless to say, the neglectful parents have lucked out twice now by finding St. Nick the very day he is delivering his gifts around the world. This year, the man in red was at Basha's in Taylor, complete with an elf and Mrs. Claus. No line and no cost for pictures made this a great visit (Also, flour and Jalapeno Cheetos were on sale).

Santa was definitely not an imposter, with a real beard and a bowl-full-of-jelly belly. When he asked Cael what he wanted, Cael told him thank you for the snow he had already brought to him. Santa asked what else Cael wanted, but "sow" was it.

"Dossy Sownan" in our front yard

Frosty the Snowman was a jolly, happy soul,

with a corn cob (stick) pipe

and a button nose (yes, really)

and two eyes made out of coal (Milk Duds).

Making a Frosty the Snowman was Cael's Santa wish.

He wanted enough snow, but we all know that our area usually gets the diss.

There must have been some magic in that SJ baseball cap they got out of Dad's closet,

for two days after they placed it on his head, someone decided to steal it.

Frosty the Snowman

stood proudly for one day,

and Cael was thrilled and a bit chilled

until Frosty started to melt away.

Frosty the Snowman

was told, "Don't nelt, Dossy. Don't nelt!"

Yet the sun bore down upon the lawn

and a short-lived snowman we were dealt.

Still, Frosty the Snowman

made one little boy's Christmas bright.

Though two days prior to the big day,

of that detail we all lost sight.

Frosty the Snowman now has gone away,

but Cael knows that Santa Claus will bring him back again someday.

Thumpety-thump-thump

Thumpety-thump-thump

Look at Frosty go.

Thumpety-thump-thump

Thumpety-thump-thump

Over the couple of inches of snow.

Cael is...

...HELPFUL:

The elf hat is cute,

but he doesn't need it to help Mom.

He wants to aid me when I sweep, do laundry, dust, etc.

...COMPASSIONATE:

Apparently, he had to put a sweater on this bear because it was cold (The "sweater" is actually Grandma's tree skirt.).

...A THIEF:

He decided he needed these crutches

more than the injured person did.

...AGILE:

If he can climb it, he will.

...HANDY AS MANNY:

He keeps his monkey wrench in his belt loop

just in case.

...FUNNY:

"Mom, I tuck," I heard,

and I looked up from my kitchen chores to see this.

I told him to hang on while I took a picture.

...TIRED:

Well, after being all these things,

you'd be exhausted, too.

Say Cheese!

I love family picture time,

especially when we do it ourselves

(Nicole was kind enough to

snap some of the three of us.).

Cael has turned into quite the photogenic one,

posing (or trying to) like a pro.

Look for a few of these pics

on a Christmas card coming soon

or in a grandparents' home near you.

He says, "Cheese," with his whole body.

This is his big-boy picture.

Isn't it time to play with Dad's tie? Nicole called this an in-the-moment shot.

He wanted to make a grumpy face in this one, instead of a smiley face,
but he could barely contain his grin.

Football is on T.V. Like father, like son...

Mom is smiling big enough for all of us.

He's tired of picture-taking here, but he still manages to be as cute as ever.

This is pure Cael.

We are a hatty family.

 I told him to put his hands together, which worked best in this photo.

"Me have sick."

No matter how he is feeling, Cael is just so cute. For the few days before Thanksgiving, the little guy was sick with a stomach bug. In this picture, he is cuddling up with his dad and getting much-needed sleep. When I would ask him if he was feeling better, he would reply, "Me have sick." When I felt poorly one day, he patted my arm compassionately and said, "Mom have sick, too."