Voyages of the S.S. Whalen: Christmas 2013

We had a relaxing, enjoyable Christmas in Mexico this year. Delays in crossing the bridge can last several hours during the holidays, so we hunkered down on this side of the border for most of the month. Shauna decorated cookies and the inside of the house, Sean strung the Christmas lights outside, and Asher terrorized the nativity sets. All in all, a successful Christmas season.

Christmas Cookies - what would Christmas cookie-making be without trucks driving in flour and a little boy eating all of your dough and the majority of your decorations? The finished products were distributed to our neighbors and Sean's coworkers.

Asher's gingerbread men - no, he did not do the piping.

Our Christmas house - Sean is convinced that we could cut down on hundreds of pounds of shipping costs if we got rid of our Christmas decorations. I never believed him, until we had all of the decorations out this year. I love Christmas, and since we spend so much time overseas, it always makes me feel at home when I am able to put up the Christmas decorations...

As much as we try - we can't seem to keep our little monkey off the rail and out of the stockings!

Avoiding Nativity Carnage

This year, we purposefully bought a nativity for Asher, hoping that by allowing him full, unimpeded access to one nativity, the others might survive. Overall, it was a successful approach, although there were a few casualties, usually involving baby Jesus' limbs, almost all of the other nativities emerged unscathed.

What would a nativity be without the obligatory fire truck, an oversized pumpkin, Captain America trapped under his motorcycle, and Jesus hitching a ride on the fire truck with the ox?

While Asher was playing with his "nativity" below he was also bellowing at the top of his lungs "This is Halloween" from the movie "Nightmare Before Christmas" - Sean was sickeningly proud.

Asher: "Daddy, look! Small one (the donkey) is eating Jesus' face."

Sean: "What happened to everyone else?"

Asher: "They tried to stop him."

Jesus is also missing the majority of his left arm - I guess Small One really was hungry.

Christmas Eve

Tamales are a Mexican tradition around Christmas, while Krispy Kremes are an American tradition any time of the year!

Christmas Day

Asher's initial reaction upon seeing the Christmas tree and stockings... nothing. Who says that today's youth aren't desensitized?

However, when he saw the half-eaten cookies he started to get in his groove.

Don't worry, the below present was for Sean.

He hasn't started prepping Asher for the zombie apocalypse yet.

This was another present for Sean, who about broke his neck stringing the Christmas lights.

Merry Christmas!

A couple of days after Christmas, we received a replacement oven and finally made our Christmas dinner (our oven broke on Christmas so we had leftovers...). We tried to make an English Christmas dinner with Cornish Game Hen, Pigs (Sausages) in a Blanket (Bacon), Roasted Parsnips and Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta, and Mashed Potatoes. It was a salty, protein heavy, carb fest!

We also received a box from Sean's parents on the same day. Inside was a tractor that shoots water vapor out of its exhaust, and a remote control car. Asher loved both! It was the kind of glee that you only see in a young child. Thank you Grammy Babs and Papa T!