Christmas 2011

I’ve realized that you think you know how amazing Christmas is UNTIL you have a child of your own…and they are old enough to “get it”.  Owens first xmas pretty much sucked because I was so sick…I thought Owen's 2nd Christmas rocked but no no no…THIS Christmas was totally awesome!!!

I was a little worried b/c all Owen has been saying is that Santa was going to bring him a train and train tracks…welllll hmmm….Santa had a 50lb weight limit on her his suitcase bag…sooo there weren’t any cool trains able to fit in there. But the morning of, he didn’t even mention anything about trains (thankfully). I THINK Santa might have left a train set and tracks at our house in Eastvale for Owen so he’ll get to come home to a pleasant surprise!  After being in Irishtown for Christmas Eve and Owen receiving a ton of gifts I’m starting to worry about how we are going to be getting these gifts home!?! haha Guess we’ll cross that bridge next week when we have to pack up to go home! haha

While in Ireland we’re staying with my cousin Alan and his family but for Xmas morning I wanted to be with my parents and for him to enjoy his kids and lil family. So we stayed the night at Mom and Dad’s little rented cottage just a few miles away from Alan’s house. 
 

Owen woke up at 9am…and whispered to me “Mama…did Santa come?” I was shocked he actually remembered it was Christmas…and watching him get up and be scared to find a big fat man in a red suit was one of the funniest things ever. It made me think about when I was a kid and I would be so scared of Santa…i’d make Paul get up, go downstairs and have a peek to make sure the coast was clear. I’m not sure why there is a lil fear of Santa but its there! haha  We walked into the living room…I asked Owen if Santa came and he said “nope!” haha I think he thought I was asking him if Santa was there…but once he realized the presents were there he got all excited. It was a windy  misty crap morning here…and as we stood looking at presents Owen said “I hear something…I hear Santa!!!” (he was hearing the wind outside!) haha It was so adorable. We made him go knock on Nana and Grandad’s bedroom door and then waited to open presents.  He whispered to the door “Santa came!” haha  Opening presents was so fun. I know some families take their time…one person opens at a time…its a long drawn out process…not in the Gallagher house…we pass out the presents and start opening…whole thing is over in 20 minutes! haha But Owen would pull paper and gasp at whatever he’d find in there. It was like EVERY present was the best one yet! He’d say “Look”, rip paper….“what”…rip paper…”I”…rip paper….”got!”

 

 

 

Oh the excitement in Owen was so fun to watch. And I loved seeing my dad, pure joy in his eyes. The joy that he’d have had back 15 years ago when he was doing this with my brother and I. Christmas time was always one of my dads favorites…I think he still thinks I believe in Santa…I’m still not allowed to say I don’t believe…no matter how old I am!

 

 

 

 

After the morning session of presents we headed “home” to Alan’s for dinner.

 
Alan did an impeccable job with the cooking! Yummy turkey, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, garlic bread and bruschetta, sliced ham…and I contributed by making my “Mexican style” potato salad (with American yellow mustard and hard boiled eggs). They loved it…which was nice…made me miss my dear friend Erika who is on the other side of the world in Warden, WA. Erika is that friend that always comes to my house EVERY x-mas evening…luckily we got to skype this year which totally made my day!!

The LeapPad is a total success…Owen doesn’t put his “learning pad” down…haha

After dinner was over the rest of the family came over for dessert and drinks. Was a great holiday! Now we aren’t the type to be sitting around baking cookies and singing Christmas carols, we were sitting around drinking booze, watching “Mrs. Browns Boys Christmas Special” and talking shite BUT either way, I’m feeling very blessed to be able to be here and celebrating with them!!

Merry Christmas everyone…from my family to yours!

 

PS. Yosh is still learning some of the slang words and phrases used in this country. At 2 am after everyone was gone homemyself, Denise, Alan and Yosh had to clean this place up. The boys (after probably a few too many drinks) were cleaning up and annoying Denise with cling film (serran wrap) she told Alan to “fuck the turkey out” (which meant put the turkey in the trash)…but Yosh thought that meant like fuck the turkey out…literally!

 

Off the balcony the it went…in the pitch black dark there was a flying turkey! And when we woke up in the morning the WHOLE thing was gone…bones and all! The cats, badgers and who knows what else had a great Christmas dinner! haha