Christmas 2020

Well, 2020 is about to finish so I though I'd best squeeze in one last post to share this year's Christmas with you.

While this holiday season was very different for a lot of people, it was business as usual for us. Living half way across the world from family and friends means that we always spend Christmas alone. Well, not alone, but just the five of us. Catching up with family for Christmas always means Skype or Facetime calls at awkward times. Giving gifts has always included a long wait in the post office. What has been our Christmas "normal" for a decade now became the "new normal" for most of the world this year! Just so you know, we were doing it before it was cool! Ha!

Ok, but seriously, our Christmas really wasn't any different this year. Well, apart from the masks for our Santa visit on Christmas Eve! Santa did give us the option to take masks off too (he was wearing a face shield and was sitting far away) but I felt we had to capture 2020 in all it's glory too. Plus, Ava's Krampus mask needed to be immortalized in Christmas history!

Our Christmas day was spent at home, as usual. Mathilde woke up early, as usual, and patiently waited for Lola and Ava to wake up so we could all go downstairs to check if Santa had been. Sure enough, there were presents under the tree - but no Santa footprints this year because Santa learned how to wipe his feet! Or someone was too tired to make footprints! Either way, there were presents under the tree as well as in the stockings and advent calendar, and the milk and cookies left out had been consumed. The carrots left our for the reindeer had also been eaten, but the kids forgot to check on those!

For a good half hour the family room was a flurry of activity with wrapping paper flung all over the place as the kids unwrapped presents. There were presents for the pets too, but Yetta was the only one capable of taking part and she was a little freaked out by all that paper and skedaddled out to the backyard! 

The kids were spoiled with all sorts of goodies under the tree. Ava received a gaming chair and Rumpl blanket from us, a Totoro mini backpack from Santa, a Kiki's Delivery Service dress from Lola, and she has a plushie from Mathilde that's stuck in shipping. Lola received a telescope and Rumpl blanket from us, a Squeakee balloon dog from Santa, a Totoro onesie from Mathilde (which you can see she changed into right away), and a tortilla blanket (her number one wish!) from Ava. Mathilde received an archery set (with suction caps - no real arrows!) and Rumpl blanket from us, Squeakee balloon dog from Santa, a plush taco cat from Ava and a plush burger cat from Lola.

The archery kit was a hit with the kids with them all taking turns to aim at the target - or each other! Good thing they're not real arrows!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and Winter break and wish you all the best for the new year. Bring on 2021!