The Aftermath

Need I say more?

Actually, I would say that Christmas 2011 was pretty much a big success. They kids had a great day. When they awoke this morning, I think they might have been afraid that Abagena might still be coming because they stayed quietly talking in their room for a good 45 minutes to an hour without even trying to get up or wake us. When Brent and I finally decided to get out of bed at 7:00 they were ready; they were literally vibrating from place to place they were so excited.

First we opened stockings, including those for the dogs, and then we took on what ended up amounting to a massive pile of presents under the tree (Grandparents and Great Aunts - I don't think you don't know what kind of bar you set this year). The kids loved all of it from the dolls, to the books, to the games, to the trucks, to the movies, to the legos, to the clothes. They were giddy with each present they unwrapped.

After it was all unwrapped, Mommy and Daddy spent nearly an hour getting everything out of its packaging. Just about the time we'd get one thing open they were on to exploring the next. Finally, Elsa decided she wanted to take a bath with the new baby Ashagre got her and things slowed down a bit. Ashagre spent some serious time building with his new erector set (his attention span for following directions and building complex things is truly astounding) and then followed Elsa in the bath. They both put on new clothes and then settled in to playing with things one by one. Daddy started cooking Christmas dinner (and, in between, building legos and erector set both with and without Ashagre) and Mommy tackled their bedroom. It had to be cleaned from top to bottom to make room for all their new things. The kids helped with the cleaning toward the end, and it should be recorded that we do not have one more square inch of space for kids' stuff, or any stuff for that matter, in our 900 square foot bungalow. Period.

We skyped with grandparents and the kids continued to enjoy all their new things until dinner was ready. Brent, as usual, cooked a mouthwatering feast of ham (Ashagre's suggestion for Christmas dinner - he'd never had it before and kept reading about it in books), au gratin potatoes and broccoli.

The best part of the whole day was, of course, watching the kids enjoy it. I know the holidays can be really rough for kids with traumatic backgrounds and we may still see some aftereffects in the next few days, but today the kids were so content just basking in the excitement and wonder of the day. It may have been just the four of us here today, but I am pretty certain that they kids were soaking up a lot of love and togetherness.

And now, for the pictures.

Abagena was very practical with the stockings.
Everyone got socks and underwear (and a few other
fun things).

Elsa helping Lola open her stocking. Lola's not quite
sure how she'll fit two treats in her mouth, but she'll
give it a shot.

Another cool hat for his dreadlocks.

I think the kids were most excited about the presents
they got from each other - a motorized truck with
lights and sound for Ashagre...

...and a baby Princess Tatiana Elsa can take in the bath.

Trying on her princess costume.

And her Ethiopia clothes.

Super Elsa!

Fancy and scrumptious Christmas dinner for four.

There is only a small window of time when the childhood magic of Christmas can fully be appreciated. Elsa and Ashagre are at the perfect age to really let it envelop them. That magic is powerful stuff. Today I saw it allow two kids to drop their guards and anxiety and just be giddy, silly kids for a day. While Brent and I have definitely struggled with our own values this holiday season, I don't regret letting the kids soak up as much of the magic as they could get. As years go on we can start to make little changes to our holiday routine that bring it more in line with our values. Until then, we'll sit around the dinner table discussing the finer points of how Abagena steers the reindeer as he's flying from house to house.