I hate to say it but we had a mixed Christmas. Leading up to the day was hectic between singing gigs (four on December 19 including the fun off singing Mele Kalikimaka while wearing leis), parties, and a bonfire. Besides homeschooling, helping to design a website for my church distracted me too.
It all started out well on Christmas Eve. We attended a "candles in the round" service, which alternated reading Bible passages on the birth of Jesus and beloved Christmas carols. Then everyone gathered near the front of the church in a circle for the candle lighting. Pamela had not attended a service like this in eons, so, when the deacons flipped off the lights, Pamela asked rather loudly, "Is the power out?" She didn't want her candle lit and was fine until Steve tried. She said, "Don't burn me!" and he gave up. Yep, she is finally saying those funny little things that kids say in church about twenty years late. I am so glad we have a relaxed, loving church family who rolls with the punches when kids of any age speak their mind. It was a beautiful service, outbursts and all.
After church we headed to my folks house. We didn't have to go over the meadows and through the woods to get to grandmother's house. We just walked across the street. We saw my brother (who is in the Navy) and his family plus my local brother (and three friends that he brought unannounced). My mom made homemade pizza but not enough for everyone but baked some frozen ones so she managed).
The kids opened gifts.
We had a lot of laughs. How could you not laugh with the dynamic duo David and Daniel!
Oliver, my brother's westy, was a mess. He fell in love with a blue squeak pig and would do anything to get to it. The poor guy tried all sorts of maneuvers to get at the toy when we put it on the top shelf. He has a very good sense of object permanence apparently.
We stayed up late, talking into the night. Because the kids opened the presents the night before (a family tradition), I slept in until 9:30! I spent part of the morning cooking food for Pamela. Mom wanted to try something different for Christmas dinner, so she chose goulash. She didn't add flour until the very end and set aside a flourless portion for Pamela. I made a gluten-free version of the tradition noodles used for this dish: nockerl. Since some folks were on low-carbohydrate noodles, I chose soy flour as one of the flours to make it an alternative for others. The other flour had on hand was sorghum and the nockerl were quite tasty the next day when I recycled the leftovers with spaghetti sauce and hamburger meat. For dessert, I baked a gluten-free, casein-free impossibly easy coconut pie that was absolutely delicious. I tweaked the recipe by using coconut milk for the milk, Earth balance butter, and frozen coconut (not the dried, flakes kind) and cutting down the sugar to half a cup because we like our sweets less sweet.
After dinner, we opened the adult gifts. Steve played disk jockey, and we listened to LPs (long playing records, vinyl) from the 1960s while my brother and his crew looked through old photo albums. His wife saw a few pictures of Pamela right before autism hit hard. Yes, she did look at people in the face. She did have vocal play and did the back and forth babble with us. Some of the sensory issues had already hit her for she craved vestibular stimulation (bouncing while being held) and tended to leave overcrowded noisy rooms. Her social and verbal delays were mild at that point.
Then, we taught my mother how to play Blackjack. Steve loves this game and made a most excellent dealer too. We went home at about nine and a half hour later Mom called with the awful news. My dad's surviving sibling Jerry died on Christmas Day. We knew it was coming for the doctors had diagnosed him with treatable but uncurable Stage IV lung cancer last summer. About a month ago, they stopped the treatments which were not doing much for his quality of life.
Uncle Jerry knew the Lord and we have no doubt that we will see him in Heaven. The timing stinks. Aunt Edna had already lost a daughter a couple years ago and a grandson a year after that. Now, she has lost her husband of fifty-four years on Christmas day. I cannot imagine how she will be able to get through Christmas from here on out. Only God can get you through that kind of ache.
On the other hand, it causes one to think about the real meaning behind Christmas. The babe in the manger was no ordinary child. He came here to die so that we could live. Processing the death of a loved one on Christmas day reveals the truth behind it . . .
Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Ris'n with healing in His wings Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!"
What if you gave yourself during your holiday celebration? Here's how taking leadership to carry it out, might bring extra holiday zip and happiness for others...
Discover a new talent in a family member you had not realized and praise it when you see it in action. Praise raises the level of serotonin released in the brain. All benefit as they hear your words since it brings well-being to all..
Help with holiday prep and clean-up Holidays take much work and even putting your hands to do dishes, setting the table, decorating or cleaning up gift-wrap brings more joy to all.
Surprise others with acts of kindness These do not cost a cent. Begin to look to see how you can give others a hand and step in to do it. It's the doing that counts.
Sing holiday songs together Music moves the brain waves to bring joy through the pace and rhythm of a joyful tune. Your active involvement with family and friends enhances mood for you and others. If you want to stay in tune, put the instrumental version on in the background. Who knows, you may sound professional! Take it further and go sing for an elderly neighbor!
Write a note to someone who might need it during the holiday. Perhaps sending a note someone in the hospital or a person who has faced a recent crisis will bring them a touch of caring.
Play games with children and teens Games are lots more fun with more players. Ask them for suggestions and follow through even if you are not familiar with Wii, a computer game or a new board game. It's the being a good sport that matters most. Would you agree?
Wrap and give photos from past celebrations Often these bring back happy memories and fun all these years later. Make a gift of one for each member of your family or for friends.
Listen more than talk It's so easy to tell and on top of that to give advice. By listening, we capture the heart of others.
Take on the role of servant Ask yourself "What if I helped to..." With this kind of attitude, it changes the aspect of your holiday celebration. It's a way of humility much needed in our world. Not too surprisingly, others see what you do and pitch in to help. This is the work of Mirror Neurons in action. It also models for children a thoughtful approach to life.
Laugh more Talk over funny happenings of past gatherings. These usually bring tears to the eyes with a rollicking belly laugh. If nothing else, watch a funny comedy together such as, Christmas Vacation.
Volunteer at Soup Kitchen By actively involving yourself to do something to help the less fortunate, it changes your own spirit.
Act on a promise you let go Because of busyness we can easily let go of promises. Recall one and offer to follow through this holiday season.
"I'll have a blue Christmas without you. I'll be so blue thinking about you. Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree Won't be the same, if you're not here with me.
And when those blue snowflakes start fallin' And when those blue melodies start callin' You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white, But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas."
Maybe Elvis, Celine or other artists revive lyrics and blues that press a replay button in your mind.... You now focus on events which change the scope of Christmas 2008 at your home. Stop right there!... Consider your focus. The human brain picks up on focus and soon surges with memories or prophetic fantasies you create.
The more you or I listen to Elvis's blues... we're upping the ante to build a blue Christmas. The more we set our sights on negatives, the more the chemical cortisol seeps in and blues take on darker shades. Not too surprisingly, cortisol, a chemical hormone in your brain, pushes against relationships, courage, solutions, and general well being. Want to play a new melody? You can reset your tunes and your celebration.
10 Tips for New Melodies
1. Attend Christmas Eve service This brings your entire focus to the true meaning of Christmas and bolsters your intrapersonal intelligence, too. Chat with others afterward and make new friends.
2. Invite neighbor(s), friend(s) or single parent with kids to spend Christmas with you It's not too late and can bring an unforgettable day for all. Bringing folks into your home and preparing the meal helps overcome loneliness. In the spirit of Christmas, you give yourself to others. No better way to rev up your interpersonal intelligence.
3. Volunteer at food kitchen Attendance spikes at Christmas so you can assist in a variety of tasks. Volunteering is giving a gift of yourself in a fresh new way.
4. Sing with carolers You'll be singing whole new tunes and having fun with others. Replay these tunes in your head as you try new approaches to the season.
5. Adopt a pet Give yourself a trusty, but different friend. Get acquainted on Christmas day!
6. Buy inspirational book to read Reading creates new images to mind and alters focus.
7. Hike, Snow Shoe or Ski Exercise that takes you outside quickly increases blood flow to the brain and connects you to nature in ways that freshen your spirit. At the same time, you fight against seasonal affective disorder caused by low levels of melatonin.
8. Write encouraging letters Reconnect to friends and family with positive encouragement. A personal, handwritten letter sends a treasure. Only you can create this unique gift and it gives back to you as well... many times with surprising results.
9. Volunteer at homeless shelter or hospital Give folks that that hurt right now can your gift of help or inspiring conversation.
10. Choose foods wisely Comfort foods may bring small comfort momentarily, but can eventually erode health. Avoid snack foods, carbs and soft drinks with sugars. "Just say no" to alcohol. Eat small portions which include items from a Mediterranean diet or other wise food choices. Drink plenty of water, too.
Choose what works best for you to bring new focus to potential Christmas blues. Even without the blues, you might find new purpose as you play a new melody for Christmas this year. As we give to others, we bring more serotonin to our lives. Serotonin's a brain chemical that enhances well-being as we reset our iPods with new tunes.
The past two Christmas seasons have been so hectic, we did not have time for advent. This year, we decided to do it even if it meant sitting around the wreath and singing on a Tuesday night. Sure enough, by the time David got home from youth group last night, Pamela was already in bed and Steve was fading fast.
So, we celebrated the first Sunday of advent on Monday! We lit one candle and cycled around the table, letting each person pick a favorite song. I can tell how much Pamela has changed because, this year, she gave me face to face contact as we sang several carols. She has a very light, sweet soprano voice and decent timing, but the lyrics definitely need more work!
Steve never sings because he has about one note in his repetoirie. This is the first year David opted not to sing, in spite of the fact that he can carry a tune and has a soft baritone voice. I did not act disappointed and was later rewarded for my patience. After we were finished with the pumpkin pie for our advent treat, David ran upstairs to his bedroom and spent about an hour practicing Christmas carols on his recorder so that he can accompany us next week!
Sixteen years old and David is still suspectible to being bitten by the advent bug . . .
But, that is not what was un-thinkable about yesterday . . .
For the first time in her life, Pamela succumbed to the Black Friday hoopla and decided we were going shopping on that ominous day. Ominous because I hate shopping and the day I hate most to shop is black Friday! However, I will do anything for Pamela and we braved Walmart together in search of stuff for an elder basket and an angel tree child. Fortunately, because we waited until after lunch shop, we did not witness any stampeding shoppers. Of course, in a town south of the Mason-Dixon line with population 4,000, one would not expect such unladylike behavior.
Our church also participates in an elder basket program in which people fill an ordinary laundry basket with packaged food, personal care, and household items. Pamela helped me pick out items for our basket and I used up the rest of the baby blanket cotton yarn on a Basket Weave dishcloth, nubby-scrubby washcloth, and extra thick potholder and I still have enough remaining to knockout another basket weave dishcloth I plan to include two bars of Ivory soap for the under-a-dollar gift I'm supposed to bring to the monthly Bible study class next month.
David, the giant, jolly elf, decorated the Christmas tree. He also terrified our gentle parakeet Lily by putting a gargantuan lifelike bird on top of the cage. She flustered about the cage, so he took it off after a minute and replaced it with less intimidating froppery. And, when he was not busy entertaining the neighbor's grandsons, David took a picture of the Arwenator wearing a Santa hat . . . I guess all that hard work makes up for the disappearance of half a container of ice cream, egg nog, and pumpkin pie . . .
Steve nearly finished his mammoth to-do list, which included doing Christmas cards, which he decorated with the most interesting collection of stamps. . .
Last week, I promised to give some tips on how we helped Pamela learn to relax and enjoy family events.
Lowered Expectations Our Daily Bread's devotional for December 19, 2007 made a great point about having a "real" Christmas. After noting that Jesus was born into a harsh world with no room for His family and run out of His homeland by a mad king seeking the murder of all infants His age, David C. McCasland wrote:
[Jesus] "comes to us, not to shield us from the harshness of the world but to give us the courage and strength to bear it; not to snatch us away by some miracle from the conflict of life, but to give us peace—His peace—in our hearts, by which we may be calmly steadfast while the conflict rages, and be able to bring to the torn world the healing that is peace."
The reality is that Pamela has autism. That means I have to find ways to accommodate her special needs while celebrating Christmas. That means I have to expect some conflict and storms. That means I may not have a picture-perfect celebration out of some Norman Rockwell painting. But, I can have that inner peace and calm steadfastness if I turn to God with my burdens.
Diet Issues Pamela is on a special diet, and making exceptions for any holiday spells disaster! We have worked hard to find tasty versions of typical holiday recipes. In fact, people often eat Pamela's version without realizing it is "special" food. For many parents, the issue is not us, but clueless relatives. Those who approach our kids with a "just one cookie won't hurt" mentality unintentionally launch them into holiday meltdowns. I was fortunate because early on in the diet game all of Pamela's relatives on both sides of the family witnessed with their own eyes what the wrong food does to Pamela. They all help me figure out (1) what recipes and treats are safe for Pamela, (2) what foods I will need to bring as a replacement, and (3) what recipes they are willing to make Pamela friendly. Pamela has a better chance of relaxing and enjoying the celebration if she stays free of problem foods.
Sensory Issues Pamela is much more resilient to sensory overload than she was ten years ago. We do not require her to wear special holiday attire, which can be itchy and uncomfortable for the tactile defensive--she has not worn a dress in years! In noisy settings, we allow her to protect her ears by covering them or leaving the room. She has learned to monitor her need for quiet and seek it on her own BEFORE she explodes. We accept that she might have to come and go, just to stay calm. When she was younger, I watched for signs that the ticking sensory-bomb was about to blow. I would whisk her out of the room and spin her until her body melted. We are very fortunate that Pamela's family on both sides accept our explanations of her sensory needs. They are not offended or upset when she quietly leaves a room to find an escape hatch. They know that her face rubbing, gentle rocking, or victory laps are her own expressions of joy. They also know that tantrums are a sign of extreme frustration, not of spoiled rotten behavior, which can be avoided if people follow our lead in helping Pamela cope with the holidays.
Slowing Down Pamela needs people around her to slow down and wait patiently for her to process and react. More importantly, she needs "quiet time" in which we allow her to relax and get away from it all! In a week full of hustle and bustle, I have to be prepared for Pamela to ask to stay home and skip an event or two. If I do not heed her request to slow down, I end up regretting it. Here is a clip of the two most sensory-sensitive individuals in the household resting after we opened gifts. Every one is busy setting the table, fixing food, cleaning the dishes, etc. This clip shows what Pamela needs to be ready for the next event on the agenda (dinner).
Simplify Christmas for some autistic people is like being held captive in one of those King-Kong complex, seizur-ific, multiple Clauses, snowman-in-laws, MORE IS NOT LESS tacky Christmas yards. In early childhood, you might help keep them calm by having a simpler Christmas: a small tree on a table rather than the six-foot monstrosity, a few highly desired presents, only your most cherished decorations, one or two special family events, etc. When we moved to Connecticut and first started homeschooling, Pamela was 6.5 years old. We developed a routine of shopping, going to the park, nature walks, and checking out library books. Even library storytime was a big flop! We attended only a handful of homeschooling events throughout the year. We did not live near family and could celebrate Christmas in the quiet, slow way Pamela needed. Between simplifying her life and going on a special diet, Pamela was able to attend a few holiday events, meltdown free. From year to year, we slowly added back activities into her life and even moved near family. We began to build a routine into our Christmas like I had as a child: singing carols on the four Sundays of advent, counting down on the advent calendar starting on December 1, etc. We kept our celebrations small and family-focused. In her teen years, Pamela could handle more and we added musical performances and church events to the mix.
Gifts Not all gifts produce joy and finding the right gifts often presents a challenge, especially for non-verbal children. While at Wal-Mart, I came out and asked Pamela directly about what she wanted for Christmas. A few days later she added one more thing to her list, but I could not understand what she wanted. So, she wrote down towel robe on a piece of paper. Some autistic children have difficulty making decisions or verbalizing their choices, in which case it pays to observe their behavior in the toy aisle and during television commercials. Usually, our relatives will ask what Pamela wants for Christmas and I try to give them suggestions based upon her wishes or strong interests. This year, all of the aunts headed to Wal-Mart together to give each other ideas about what the nieces and nephews wanted. We saw many smiling faces at our Christmas celebration.
Pamela spent about five minutes examining her red towel robe but hardly glanced at the matching red slippers. Occasionally, her reactions are like A Christmas Story's Ralphie and Randy tossing clothes over their shoulders (twenty seconds into this trailer). When Pamela has that blank, zoned-out look, I try to smooth over hurt feelings by letting people know she is going into sensory shutdown. Another option is to photograph or film your child playing with the gift later, and letting the relative see how treasured the gift really is. If it is a pink bunny suit moment, well, the giver either has thick-skin or is not used to getting compliments.
Favorite Things Like Maria in The Sound of Music, we let favorite things cheer up Pamela. Before we go on a trip or to someone's house, she packs her purple back-pack with her Game Boy Advance, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, paper, pencils, journals, Disney Charade cards, etc. When she was younger, I packed it for her, but now she has that responsibility. When that fails, reciting a couple of verbal stims together or talk about a strong interest helps her to regulate and reconnect. Lately, Baby Alive, the fifth member of our family, goes with us everywhere.
Short and Sweet When away from home for the holidays, we always had to have Plan B. If a situation was too much from the start, we often skipped the event. If Steve or I had to be there, I looked for an escape hatch (some quiet place where we could hang out) or simply took Pamela home or back to where ever we were staying for the night. If we were at a hotel, we tried to pick one with a swimming pool because Pamela finds water calming.
Preparation With family that I see regularly, I try to work in discussions about Pamela's autism and needs and win them to our side. For example, last Sunday, I was hanging out my mother, and we got to talking about RDI. I told her I was so happy with how Pamela interacted and related to people at Christmas Eve. Mom wanted to know what she could do, and I told her the two big tips for beginners: SLOW DOWN and SPEAK DECLARATIVELY. Mom is going to let me give her tips whenever she and Pamela are interacting so that she can support what we are doing.
Sometimes, quickly evolving situations left no time for explanations. We have done things like make a kid's brochure to help peers understand Pamela better (the pamphlet helps adults, too). For babysitters, we wrote up two-page notes explaining everything that might need to know about handling Pamela. We have taken sign language off and on throughout the years, so often simply signing told people that Pamela was not an ordinary child. For large, anonymous crowds, you might have your child wear a T-shirt or hand out business cards. On field trips, Pamela wore a shirt that said, "Autism rocks," and David's shirt said, "We are in school" to keep the busybodies at bay.
Perspective Having to change as a parent and spend so much time planning and preparing can be draining. Being looked upon as the Adam's family when your cute little daughter is doing the Indy 500 around the church altar is no fun. I want to scream when told, "All she needs is a good pop on the hiney." Keeping our challenges in perspective keeps me sane. For example, think about how holiday planning changes for a family dealing with cancer. If one person attending Christmas dinner has a cold, you stay home! Pamela is mobile and healthy, so we do not have to carry around equipment or medical supplies. Over the years, as I saw Pamela becoming more and more resilient, I began to see that some day the holidays will get easier. And, I was right: Pamela had no problems this Christmas and told me she had fun as did Steve and I!
Boundaries I could spend an entire post on the topic of toxic people. Some people do not care about you or your child. Anything odd or different spoils their precious day. They denigrate every decision you make and launch cruel, cutting remarks in front of your loved one. Some people have difficulty changing their ignorant, idiotic opinions no matter how much you try to spread autism awareness. In such cases, they leave you no option but to take control of your life and set healthy boundaries to protect your family from toxic people.
I wanted to share some insight about how far Pamela has come in her ability to enjoy a full-blown large-family Christmas celebration without going into meltdown. Much of the credit goes to the Glasers and the Kings, who are the most supportive group of people anyone could desire.
First, you will notice as you watch and hear the clips that Pamela is surrounded by noise: seventeen people sometimes all talking at once in three languages (English, German, and Spanish), several speaking to Pamela at one time, plus the music in the background.
Second, you need to know that Pamela stayed through the entire celebration from beginning to end: she sat through the Christmas readings, listened to the Christmas carols (she was too hoarse to sing), and even contributed by signing "Silent Night" for everyone--can you say tissue moment? Then, she had no problems waiting patiently as each one of us opened presents, one by one, individually to allow us all to share in one another's joy.
Finally, you must know that Pamela could not have managed this with so much ease and enjoyment in her early childhood. From 1991 through 1994, Pamela coped with very large family gatherings by spending time in her escape hatch. At Great-Grandma's house, she played with the dolls under the bed in the guest room. At Tia Janet's, she studied the videos stored in Alyson's room. At Grandma's house, she sat on the bed in the master bedroom and watched television. She spent most of the time flitting around the room with her ears plugged and bolting to her escape hatch for peace and quiet. She had the occasional meltdown when we were too much for her. That last large family Christmas gathering was 1999 and she still needed lots of downtime.
Second of Twelve Gifts: Happy, But Not Joy In this clip, Pamela received a Sweet Slumbers Bedtime Set. She is happy but does not rock in joy as you will see in later clips. Pamela briefly shows the gift to her grandmother on the left.
Eleventh of Twelve Gifts: Obviously Joyful Pamela had asked for some kind of Moon Sand kit and was very delighted with the Moon Sand Pet Shop kit, selected due to her love of all things animals. Pamela smiles brightly and responds very nicely to a request to see her present. Then, she rocks to express her joy more completely.
First of Twelve Gifts: Surprised and Joyful Pamela references beautifully in this gift from her Oma and Opa. The stuffed animal is contained in a plastic bag, and Pamela is unsure of how to open it. She thinks she can rip into the bag, but she turns to me and her Oma for reassurance. Once she realizes it is a huge Winnie-the-Pooh, she turns back to us again to share her joy with us, hugs her bear, and rocks in excitement.
Last of Twelve Gifts: Extreme Joy Pamela waited patiently all night for Baby Alive, which we saved until the end. Pamela tells us that she plans to watch PBS Kids (which she does every weekday at noon) with her new baby. She was so excited that she carefully stood up and had to release her joy in a "victory lap." Many people with autism find ways to express joy physically like a football player does an end zone dance.
As promised, Pamela sits down every weekday at noon with her baby to watch PBS Kids for an hour. She has informed me that we now have FIVE members of our family, where there were previously four. She plans to celebrate New Year's Eve and Leap Day with her baby. When pressed for a name, she says, "No name" or "Baby Alive!"
Tomorrow, I plan to cover what tips have helped Pamela learn to enjoy herself, even in large gatherings. I will close with the gift that gave ME great joy: Jane Austen the Illustrated Library. This nine-pound book contains all six books with sketches and color plates and large enough print for Steve to read.
I have company visiting and little time to blog. Last Saturday night, I was frantic! All month long I had been practicing Bethlehem Morning, which I was supposed to sing at church last Sunday. Well, apparently, I had rehearsed this piece one too many times because the tape broke the night before I was supposed to sing! ACK!!!!!!!
Fortunately, I looked online and found the song was not only available at CBD Books, but that I could download the vocal track for ONLY 99 cents and burn a CD from the download!
YIPPEE!!!!
The double miracle in this is that Pamela started getting a cold on December 15 and I thought I would catch her cold, just in time for my solo. Again, fortunately--or was that God's perfect timing--my sore throat started on Christmas Eve after all of my singing obligations were finished!
I found an article on Dr. Talley who helped me find my voice. What they do not mention his great ragtime versions of the Navy Hymn and the Doxology. I had never soloed, much less sung much, until Dr. Talley accepted me into the choir and glee club. He even selected me to do the alto solo from the Easter Messiah and hired Jeanne Kelly to be the voice teacher for all of the soloists. She was fantastic, and I still remember many tips and tricks she taught me about singing.
I was not surprised that no clips of Christmas in Washington exist on You-Tube from the two years I was on the show. So, I googled it. I was flabbergasted to find a DVD of the 1983 show hosted by Andy Williams up for sale on eBay! Even more so, I WON THE BID. So, now Steve and the kids have seen a very young and thin version of me singing for President Reagan on national television.
I also found some pictures at the Osmond family website from the 1984 show, which I will be happy to share here. You can see larger shots by clicking each image.
I have a copy of this same program displayed at the Osmond website in my memorabilia from my days at the boat school. Again, you can see larger shots by clicking each image. And, that is enough sea stories for one evening . . . (Jamberry, don't you love it?)
Most of my family (my parents and five of seven siblings and family ) celebrated a German Christmas together for the first time in twenty-three years. Steve's parents and a nephew also joined us for the festivities. First, we lit a white candle to honor loved ones who have died and spent one minute in silence, followed by lighting a red candle to remember those serving in our military. Then, we took turns picking Christmas carols from the very same song sheets we used as children--well, copies of them. We alternated songs with Gospel readings from the Time-Life Book of Christmas published and purchased the year I was born. Finally, each child stood next to the Christmas tree with a gift for the Christ child. Pamela signed Silent Night while I sang it, and David read A Nativity by Rudyard Kipling.
When it comes to Christmas, the Germans are smart. We always opened our presents on Christmas Eve so that children and adults could get a good night's sleep. Because we had some pretty lean years, someone played Santa by passing out presents, one by one, allowing time for all to see. We did not think it necessary for each adult to buy the other adult a Christmas present, so we held a white elephant gift exchange, minus the white elephants. I was sneaky enough to slip in gag gifts with mine: (1) I re-gifted a can of creamed possum with a nice gift card plus and pretty Amazing Grace go-cup and (2) I hid the movie Amazing Grace in a box of microwave popcorn. The gift exchange generated many laughs, especially the You Might Be a Redneck If game.
The first thing Pamela did this morning was pull her baby out of the box. She gave her some juice and changed her diaper. I would have filmed her but was busy chopping up pecans for my cranberry conserve for Christmas dinner. I did snap these photos of her putting on her baby's slippers. At noon, Pamela dashed across the street with her baby to watch television at my parents' house.
I am too tired to edit much video and will post clips tomorrow!
I hate to say it but we had a mixed Christmas. Leading up to the day was hectic between singing gigs (four on December 19 including the fun off singing Mele Kalikimaka while wearing leis), parties, and a bonfire. Besides homeschooling, helping to design a website for my church distracted me too.
After church we headed to my folks house. We didn't have to go over the meadows and through the woods to get to grandmother's house. We just walked across the street. We saw my brother (who is in the Navy) and his family plus my local brother (and three friends that he brought unannounced). My mom made homemade pizza but not enough for everyone but baked some frozen ones so she managed). 
Oliver, my brother's westy, was a mess. He fell in love with a blue squeak pig and would do anything to get to it. The poor guy tried all sorts of maneuvers to get at the toy when we put it on the top shelf. He has a very good sense of object permanence apparently.
