Merry Christmas!


It was a whirlwind Christmas this year! The main whirlwind revolved around the completion of the kitchen renovation. It ended up not being so much complete but rather operational. The second big event of the holidays was the arrival of Grandma and Grandpa who joined in the Christmas festivities AND the kitchen renovation. The third big event was Anna's Christmas pagent at school.

The kitchen renovation went right down to the wire with everything operational the night before Grandma and Grandpa arrived (the tile backsplace and cabinet knobs/handles still need to be added....maybe next week). As a result, the house remained a construction zone with few Christmas decorations to be found. Thanks to a lot of help from Grandma and Grandpa, everything got unpacked and the Christmas tree went up!

Grandma and Grandpa had quite a busy week. They arrived Tuesday morning after a flight delay just in time to see Anna in the Christmas pagent (Anna got to go up on stage along with the other kindergarteners and say their line). Immediately after the pagent, they went to work unpacking boxes and putting things back in order. In between the work, they did get to do some fun activities, including a Christmas light show, the botanical gardens, Arlington Cemetary, and Afghani food. Anna was thrilled to have her grandparents in town and peppered them with all of her questions, like:

"Grandma, why doesn't God get old?

Anna also enjoyed reading books to Grandma and Grandpa and demonstrating her new piano skills.

Grandma and Grandpa got to participate in the Fagella Christmas traditions, including Christmas Eve mass and a seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. Another tradition is the pilgrammage to Wegman's at 6:30 AM on Christmas Eve day to get fresh seafood to make the dinner. Grandma joined in for this event and was amazed at the hordes of people swarming the store as if they were preparing for a snowstorm. One lady almost ran over grandma with the shopping cart! The other tradition was the lighting of the luminaries -- something all the neighbors do. Grandpa and Anna took care of this, which involved putting candles in 9 empty milk jugs along the sidewalk. The neighborhood looked beautiful!

Anna got to open presents from Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas Eve since they were leaving the next morning. Finally, Anna opted not to leave Santa any cookies this year and instead chose cherry pie because "Santa probably gets a lot of cookies." She also left a note for Santa.

Christmas morning, Anna awoke to find that not only had Santa ate her pie and left her a note, but he also left a big mess. Apparently he tripped over the fireplace screen as she found it on the floor, along with a piece of Santa's hat and some presents he dropped on the floor. Fortunately Santa made it upstairs to leave some additional presents for Anna. Grandma and Grandpa caught a morning flight back to Ohio so they could join cousin Aidyn for Christmas Day.

It was a great holiday weekend. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for making the trip out. It made the holiday extra special!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swimming with the Lakevale Dolphins

Image
The Swim Gang - Leo, Aidan, Megan & Anna Tonight Anna completed her third season with the Division II Lakevale Dolphins.  It was a great season for Anna as she improved her strokes and her times and made it to the "A"team to compete at Saturday meets.  It was an educational season for Joe and Theresa, who learned the ins and outs of life as swim team parents. The neighborhood swim team is the hub of neighborhood social activity in the summer.  There are events throughout the season, including Friday night pep rallies, and Sunday night fund events that include such things as the neighborhood scavenger hunt, laser tag night, bingo night, and even a team night at the Washington Nationals game.  In between the fun is the seriousness of the swimming, and there are definitely some top notch swimmers on the team. Anna with her lollipop for getting a "personal best" time Kids are motivated by different things. Some kids love to race.  Other kids try to b...
Read more

Camp Coles Trip & June Birthdays

Image
Anna at Girl Scout Camp Anna just returned from a fun-filled week at Girl Scout camp.  This year she was old enough to go to Camp Coles Trip, which is on a bay area off of the Potomac River.  This is a water camp, so she spent her days on the bay learning to paddle board and sail along with kayaking. Girl Scout Camp is definitely roughing it.  The camp is in the woods and girls stay in platform cabins with screens.  Anna shared a cabin with 4 other girls.  Mosquito netting is very important at night.  The only electricity is at the dining hall, health center, and activity building.  The girls are also responsible each day for doing "kapers" or chores.  They take turns helping serve meals, cleaning the bathrooms, and general clean-up.  They are also responsible for keeping track of their own things and carrying their bags. Anna had a fantastic time, despite the lack of modern conveniences, and is already planning her return next year....
Read more

The End of 1st Grade

Image
Last Day of 1st Grade Pool Party Anna is officially a "rising 2nd grader."  She was quite excited to celebrate her last day of 1st grade on June 14. She learned a lot this year, including great strides on reading, addition, subtraction, and writing. Anna kept a writing journal during the school year.  Below are some excerpts: If I had a pet I would choose a dog.  I would feed him, walk him, play with him, and a dog would keep me company.  PS, i atcally want one these are the things i would do One day while I was driveing on the road a deer was in the way.  My dad honked the horn.   self-control is keping your self in control.   Peace is when you are quiet.   I can respect others by bringing over plates afer diner.    The last week of school included a field trip to Frying Pan Park, a working farm in Fairfax County.  Anna, upon recounting the details of her trip, stated that they learned how to do farm chores from...
Read more