NOT A CREATURE IS STIRRING....NOT EVEN A MOUSE!

Merry Christmas! 

Ol' Santa has come and gone at our house and it's kinda spooky with everything so quiet....the presents are all gone....the food's all gone....the kids are all gone.  Only thing left is one tired ol' Kristyemac.  But, boy, did we have a good time!  Loulou breezed in with her daddy on Thursday and Christmas was on.  Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't have our baby around.  The eyes of children see things we adults seem to forget sometimes.  They find joy in the simplest of things....a certain ornament on the tree...a special song on the stereo...a stocking "re-hung" with the utmost care.

Thursday night was spent riding around looking at all of the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations here in Ocean Drive.  The best stop was here in our own neighborhood where a family puts on a live nativity scene every night the week of Christmas.  LouLou insisted that we get out of the car... leaving Daddy and Uncle Zack behind....to get as close as we possibly could so as to see the baby Jesus in the manger.  Don't know what gets in to me but I cried like a baby when I saw her looking at the wise men, the shepherds, the angel, Joseph and Mary and the little baby doll lying in their makeshift manger.  LouLou looked up at me and put her little finger to her lips and said "Sssshhhhhhhh, MeeMall..You'll wake the baby Jesus!".  I coulda just pinched her jaws off right then and there.

Yep...Christmas is a wondrous time for children.  LouLou has special ornaments on MeeMall's tree that she looks for every year.  Wasn't hard to find them this year, 'cause I had left my tree up since last year....Yes, you read that right.  But we didn't light it up until Christmastime!  We got the tree lit and she was all smiles when Uncle Zack's childhood choo choo train ornament started huffin' and puffin' and blowin' it's horn.  But her favorite ornament is a small church and she pushed a button so a choir inside starts singing old time Christmas hymns.  She played and played......and played...that ornament the rest of the night. 

MeeMall's tree has homemade ornaments that Daddy and Uncle Zack made when they were little, as well as some LouLou has added to the collection.  She loves to hear the stories of when they were little and how much fun they used to have at Christmas.

We decided to open her gifts early because she needed to be back at her home, in her bed, by Christmas Eve so Santa Claus would be able to find her.  The gifts were kinda slim at our house this year, but you wouldn't have known it.  LouLou opens every one of 'em like they were worth a million dollars.  She even got excited about her new toothbrush and toothpaste in her stocking!

And oh, Lordy.....that singing Santa Claus.  Now she's big enough to shag dance with him...he just didn't want to cooperate with his male lead the way he was supposed to!  The dancing didn't last long, but MANY songs were sung with him...over and over and over. :)

We had three days of laughter and fun and going out to eat.  MeeMall didn't cook anything this year...A little Christmas gift to myself.  We ate pretty good and there were lots of homemade cookies and fudge, thanks to wonderful friends!

LouLou departed on Saturday afternoon and there's just my oldest son left at the house with me.  We had a few visits from friends, watched a couple of movies and did a whole lot of Facebookin'. The evening was topped off with a steak dinner and sharing memories of bygone Christmas mornings.  Turned out to be a great evening...some quality time with a grown son who wanted to be Mama's little boy one more time. 

Now it's Christmas day...mid-afternoon.  My boys were up and at 'em early, opening gifts and checking out which one might have gotten more than the other.  We laughed...MeeMall cried a little bit...the youngest left for more holiday festivities...the oldest took my old pickup and car and washed 'em up for me....then he left, too.  I'm not sad...I'm happy with my memories and feeling blessed with grown children who still like to spend time with their old Ma....but it's mighty quiet!  Josey, my canine baby, seems quite content to have things back to normal...and quiet!  She's actually snoring.

While on my computer the past few days I have had one of those internet radio stations playing Christmas songs in the background while I "worked".  One artist kept getting my attention so I went to youtube and found some other songs by him.  Leon Redbone...I think I'm in love.  I can't believe I've never heard his music before and I absolutely love him!  Very different, but there's something about his voice and style that has relaxed me beyond my wildest dreams.  I have been a bit stressed lately and Mr. Redbone took it right outta me.  Check him out...to each his own...but I hope you find him as entertaining as I do!

I especially like his version of "Christmas Moon"...Think it might be the whistling...My mother used to whistle just a pretty as he does when she was happy.  I've always wished I could whistle like that!

Here's hoping all of you are enjoying (or have enjoyed) a wonderful Christmas!  Kristyemac here is planning to just chill for a little while....maybe even take a nap...while listening to some Leon Redbone...and I might be snoring just like Josey in a few!

In the meantime...Remember...If all else fails...Keep on dancin'!

Kristyemac

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