Happy New Year!

We had a quiet and fun Christmas here in WV. Santa brought everyone a few things they really wanted but otherwise took it easy on the elves this year (a scenario played out in many homes across the country this year, I imagine). Laura got her guitar, JiaJia got her cupcake maker and Vince got his floor jack so there were smiles all around. What did I get, you ask? I got to fix a big breakfast including hominy, my all time favorite breakfast food that nobody in this house likes but me. Yum!

Here's Laura with her guitar. Yes, I know its pink but it was for Laura, remember?
JiaJia, with her cupcake maker and a nail art set that Vince got her (the reason why there are tiny sparkly stickers EVERYWHERE on the first floor of the house - remind me to have a little talk with him about that...)
After she changed her clothes on Christmas morning, JiaJia brought me the ubiquitous leopard satin pajames and said, "Mommy, we have to say goodbye to these. They're too small." All I can say is some prayers get answered.

Last night I fell asleep about 9:30, as is my usual, and the girls woke me up at 11:30 so I could go down and watch the ball drop with them. Everyone had a tiny glass of champagne then we all trooped back up to bed. This was what I found this morning - the lump in the back of the bed is Cecily's daughter Sophie who is staying with us this week (and a darn good thing since it appears that I'm coming down with the same virus that Cecily has been fighting - Sophie is like an older sister to my girls and they will do what she says so it is like having a live in babysitter).

Happy 2009, all! Let's hope it is a good one for all of us.