Seriously, sugar…

I don’t really want to be writing, but I feel I need to. I haven’t written the last 2 nights because Ashley has been weirdly clingy. I thought tonight was going to be a repeat but so far everything is ok. Of course, it has been 3 minutes, but still. I need to remember that I have to explain where I go once she goes to sleep because she seems to forget.

So… Christmas. Lisa and Matt came over at 10 and we opened presents. From us, Ashley got:  toothbrushes with sesame street characters on them, 2 boxes of crayons, 1 box of markers, a hot wheels car, Elmo’s World on DVD, and Dr Seuss’ ABC. And a Michael Jackson calendar, although that is really for me, but I wrapped it for her.

From Lisa and Matt Ashley got: a drum (which comes with bells and other jingly toys inside the drum, it’s a drum and a storage container!) and 2 black fedoras – adult and toddler size. I wore the adult one all morning, although it is a little tight.

Jake gave me candy and a photo album. I gave Jake candy and shoes. Ashley gave us a gift card to Red Robin.

At 2:30 we all went over to Kristen and Matt’s house for family dinner and gifting. I got grandpa Matt to take pictures of Ashley, Jake and I in front of the Christmas tree outside with the gorgeous ornaments, but I haven’t really looked at the pics yet.

Ashley got crazy spoiled. More gifts from the grandparents: a camera, a BIG box of crayons, some colouring books and a cute outfit.

From Kristen and Matt she got: playdoh, an Elmo eating set (plate/cup/fork/spoon) and a big wooden A with bows on ribbons attached, so now I have to (eventually) make Ashley wear bows in her hair.

From Nick and Stacy she got: a purple hippo pillow pet thing, a BIG dinosaur colour book (easel size! is what it says) with some crayons and a pencil case for them to live in. She loves her "crayon suitcase".

I got books and undies and candy from Matt and Lisa. I want to go read my Hyperbole and a Half book… soon, Sarah, soon.

Speaking of Sarah, off topic a bit, but I taught Ashley today what my name is. And what Jake’s name is. I LOVE the way she says Sarah. She knows to call me Mummy and that that is my name too… She is so cute.

We had dinner (beef in tomato sauce with noodles, so noodles in tomato sauce for me) and dessert (apple pie) and Ashley had loads of fun climbing up the 7 stairs to the next floor over and over and over again. She wouldn’t let me teach her how to go down though, but she would step down if I was holding her hands. She is tall enough that she can almost do that by herself… Everyone else would carry her back down but I refused.

Yesterday… I ate WAY TOO MUCH of the gingerbread house. Like, I felt sick. And yet I kept breaking off a skittle from the roof or something every time I passed it. I made a rule – no damaging the structure unless Jake is here, but there were lots of things in the ‘garden’ for me to eat. And then in the evening Jake and I chipped off some of the cookies stuck to the walls and had that for dessert. We have non-iced, small cookies for Ashley.

Today Ashley and I played with playdoh, and did lots of colouring. It was a nice day. I ate lots more gingerbread and candy, but only in the afternoon. I think I should stop eating the house by like… 3, get all the sugar out of my system by bed time. I think that is what is keeping Ashley so alert at bedtime. Morning candy! Yay!

And this evening we ripped a side wall off the gingerbread house and split that. So now the house has a GIANT GAPING HOLE and looks awesome. So delicious. So glad it is the weekend.