More Christmas

That was so fun, let's do it again!

We celebrated Christmas with David's family the next night.

We were supposed to go early so the kids could play with Benjamin & Sofia, but that was before I made mashed potatoes (as assigned--you'd think this would be easy enough!). I hadn't made them before, at least not in recent memory, and I didn't realize the peels could stop up the sink. But I was making a whole bag of potatoes because we were feeding 20-something people. Anyway poor David had to take the whole thing apart and we ended up needing a part to fix it. All of this to say we were NOT early, just arriving at the same time as everyone else, in time to reheat the potatoes for dinner.

The dinner was extra good this year--lots of yummy, specially-prepared veggies because there are so many food issues in the family (no dairy, no salt, no tomatoes, no sugar, no wheat flour, I forget what else--but serious diet restrictions!).

Also, Martha remembered that I love Whole Foods' Seeduction bread and brought me some (really nutty, different bread). (She got me started on that bread a few years ago, but there's no Whole Foods around here, so I don't have it very often and in fact can't finish a loaf while it's fresh because no one helps me eat it.)

Sofia was the first to open a gift, and "her person" was Carmen, who got her a Barbie-sized doll (actually NOT a Barbie, but rather a doll from High School Musical 2 because she was beautiful and because she was named Gabriella, like their aunt).
Gabe got Hungry Hungry Hippos from his person, Benjamin. (He had the travel-sized one, but had always wanted this since he'd played it at Mason's house.)
Carmen got a posable Groovy Girl named Trini from her person, Ariana,
and Benjamin got a Lego set from his person (I'm not sure who!).
Paloma opened a Baby Abuelita- brand doll that sings 5 songs in Spanish
(Baby Tita sings: Arroz con Leche, Naranja Dulce, Mi Escuelita, Tortillitas, Arrurru)
and all of the girls were interested in Sofia's Kelly doll set.
David and his dad posed for me (kind of)
and Carmen got a Baby Abuelita doll that sings five different songs in Spanish. (Andrea sings El Patio de mi Casa, Tengo una Muñeca, Matarile, A la Rueda Rueda, and Duermete mi niña.)
I'm not sure what Abuelita was opening here, but she must have liked it. Paca doesn't look so thrilled, on the other hand, but the next morning she had a fever and ended up in the hospital two days later with pneumonia!
Not sure what Abuelo was opening here; it was loud and chaotic!
Maria was prepared for movie night at home with fuzzy socks and a Blockbuster or Netflix gift card.
Gabriel worked intently putting different parts on Lightning McQueen.
I don't know why Andy was playing with Sofia's doll, but I couldn't resist taking a picture!
Carmen opened this paint-by-numbers masterpiece set.
Tom's gift was a carving knife--not sure if he's planning a horror flick or if it's actually for the kitchen.
Meg got a gift card for home furnishings; wish I could remember what she said, something like, "Now I can buy plates!" (She just moved into a loft apartment downtown.)
First Andy opened a real apple: the fruit. After he opened an Apple GC, he seemed to enjoy the joke more.
I wanted Abuela & Abuelo to open this package together. Thought it would make a cute commercial for the shirts I'm still selling!
Pepe was more interested in the other strange gift: a fat separator. You pour your gravy or whatever greasy liquid you have into it and when you pour, it gives you the less greasy part from the bottom. My mom has one and I knew they would have occasion to use one, too. I've wanted one myself for the au jus when we make brisket, but there was only one this size when I found it.

This is David calling Ariana a clone of Gabi. Wow! I didn't know Gabi before her 30s, but there is a significant resemblance. Surprise, suprise about the dominant genes.
Maria models the shirt our kids found for her with her nickname, Maui
and Abuelo sports a distinguished gentleman's cap.
Delia shows David the sweater we found for her--when we got her very specific list, I didn't think we'd find what she wanted, but we got lucky and found two of her things after all. (David's aunts are notorious for their hard-to-find requests when they come from Mexico!)
Who is having more fun here, Paloma or Meg?
Abuelo enticed Paloma into his lap with a cookie.
I have no idea why Carmen was wearing a bandanna in this picture with her oldest cousins, but I thought it was a cute one anyway.
This was the first Christmas we had Mark with us since Carmen was 4 months old! I remember because Mark & Maria came to her baptism and I was surprised to have more siblings there than David did.
After we opened gifts, Lety had a song she'd written about Tio Luis to share with the group.