December Shenanigans

December was different for us this year, but still great.  In year's past we are just biding our time until we load up the car and make our way to Grandma and Grandpa's house around the 18th.  This was the first Christmas in all my 33 years that I wasn't with my family.  I had prepared myself for severe depression, but I survived it!  There were some tears every now and then (who could keep a dry eye when "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" are playing on Pandora?).  

We decorated this year the weekend after Thanksgiving.  It was our second year with our pre-lit tree and it was so easy and fun!  

Santa came to Sigonella!  

Benny kept telling Santa he wanted a DS and a bike.....little did he know that Santa had already ordered the Imaginext fortress from Amazon that he mentioned in November.  No switchies when you live in Italy.  

My sweet kiddos.  Benny refused to wear pants....ever.  Always insisting he was fine with a long sleeve shirt.  It doesn't get too cold here, but a little chilly every once in a while.  The temperatures have dropped a little more in January, so I can get him to wear pants now.  

One of Jason's Italian co-workers, Mariella, invited our family over for dinner on a Friday night.  Originally she told us to come at 8 o'clock (dinner in Italy typically starts after eight).  He asked if maybe we could come a little earlier, she said, "Sure!  Come at seven and we'll eat at eight!"  

Mariella, her husband, Luigi, and Jason.  He's not drinking wine, I promise.  It's just Coke in a fancy glass.  

Needless to say, my kids were super sleepy at the dinner table.  We fed them a little dinner at 5, so they weren't starving, but......

 

Graham asked to leave the table and when we came into the living room we found him like this.  

By this point, it was ten o'clock.  The dinner was amazing and well worth the wait.  

This was before dinner.  Luigi and Mariella have a 3D television.  The kids were watching Lion King...in Italian....and in 3D.  

Mariella fell in love with Lucy.  Jason asked her to make a card for Mariella before we left.  The card won her over.  She kept referring to it and saying how "lovely" Lucy is.  

Later in the month we did some "candy-caning" to some friends in our branch.  Graham made this cute picture to tape on their door.  It says, "Ho Ho Hope you know how much we love you."  Notice the reindeer antlers on the "o" in you.  Too cute.  

We had a great branch Christmas party.  It was Who-ville themed, so we all came in our jammies and had breakfast for dinner.  Susanna read The Grinch Who Stole Christmas to the kiddos.  

Early in the month I got to go to Benny's preschool and decorate a graham cracker house with him.  

We had another Italian experience in December.  Jason's work sponsored a low-income Children's Center.  We were able to go with him when they brought dinner to them and some gifts.  The Italian kids put on a program complete with lip-syncing Mariah Carey's, "All I Want For Christmas is You"   and dancing to George Michael's, "Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart".  

The kids all LOVED Baby Sullivan.  It was a crazy evening in a very small space with a whole lot of people.  The leader of the children's group spoke on a microphone VERY LOUDLY the whole time.  That's the one word I would use to describe the evening.....LOUD.  

I brought candy canes for my kids to pass out to the Italian kiddos.  It was funny to see them try to trick Lucy into giving them another one.  We may not have understood 99% of what they said, but the need for candy is universal.