The End of Christmas Vacation

We spent the days after Christmas laying low (and with me on another round of antibiotics due to a sinus infection) and enjoying visits with friends and family. On Tuesday, December 30th I took Gemma to a playground in Westport and out to lunch. Not a bad view from the top of the slide!

On New Year's Eve, Paul and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner out in a pub/restaurant in nearby Murrisk and returned back to the house to ring in the New Year. Gemma and I departed early on New Year's Day to head back to Dublin. I think we saw a total of 5 cars on the road for the first half hour! 

We did a quick trip to the grocery store when we got back, including a special treat of getting to sit in the car. She doesn't know that you can put money into it to make it move yet!

And, that evening, we took some last photos in front of the Christmas tree for this year. 

On Friday, January 2nd, Gemma went back to creche, and I spent the day unpacking, doing laundry, taking the Christmas decorations down, and running a few errands. It was very productive! When I collected Gemma from creche that afternoon she had told everyone that I wasn't at work but I was at home taking down the Christmas tree! Nothing is a secret anymore! 

Saturday morning saw another quick trip to the grocery store to get eggs to make pancakes for lunch, and Gemma got to try out the new trollies for the first time!

Paul got back to Dublin on Saturday night, we ran some more errands on Sunday, and I got to visit a friend and her newborn baby in hospital on Sunday evening. Paul was back to work today, and Gemma asked where he was working. I told her he was at his office and she asked, 'the office with the coffee?' Every now and again we get coffee capsules at the grocery store for the coffee machine he has at his office, so she must remember this! We spent the day at a local Play Cafe this morning and had fun at home this afternoon. 

I will enjoy one more day at home with this cutie tomorrow, then it's back to work on Wednesday!

Christmas Day

On Christmas morning, Gemma awoke and found that Santa and the reindeer had eaten their treats. The next thing she saw was a big black garbage bag full of wrapping paper (the rest of us had opened our gifts the night before after Gemma had gone to bed). Upon seeing the bag, she said, 'Santa left his sack!', and she was very concerned about it. After we said we'd post it back to him, she found her presents under the tree. 

The pink car! When she opened it, she said, 'Santa listened!'

After Gemma's nap that afternoon we had a delicious ham and turkey dinner with all the trimmings and took it easy after the clean up was done!

Marie made funny t-shirts for all of us this year, so we had to get a few pics with them. 

The last order of business for the day was to mark Gemma's height inside the closet door. She's grown about an inch since her birthday in August!

Christmas Eve

After nap time, Gemma got to open her Christmas gifts from Mommy and Daddy. 

Before dinner, we got to see Santa's sleigh flying across the sky! (aka the International Space Station being moved)

and sprinkled food for the reindeer on the grass. 

(By the way, Gemma's new best friend is Uncle Brian- they were inseparable over Christmas!)

After dinner we got everything ready for Santa before we went to mass. 

Then, we got ready and headed to mass. 

I'm not proud to say it, but this was only the second time Gemma has been to a church service. The first was her first Christmas two years ago. She did quite well considering we were there for over an hour and a half. As long as she was sitting with Uncle Brian, she was fine! And, after every song, she would say, 'No go home yet!' She especially liked clapping for the choir at the end, and in the car on the way home, she exclaimed, 'I like mass!'  

When we got back to the house it was time for bed so Santa could come and deliver her gifts!

Christmas Eve Morning at Westport House

On Christmas Eve morning, Marie, Brian, Paul, Gemma, and I went to the Winter Wonderland at Westport House to see Santa and take part in some festive activities! We were first brought into Santa's room with a group of other kids and families and Santa read a little something out of his book about each of the children- Gemma wants a pink car! We sang songs with Santa (Gemma loved that!), and each child/group got a turn sitting with Santa, and each child got a gift. Gemma still wouldn't sit on his lap, but she got closer and gave him a high five as we were leaving. Progress! 

After our visit with Santa, we went to decorate gingerbread men. 

Very serious!

Next we went to the cafe to eat the gingerbread men, and the adults got some complimentary mulled wine! Yum!

After that we decorated a Yule log, then headed outside to ride the train. I think the train was Gemma's favourite!

The teddy was the gift from Santa- again she said, 'Not a pink car!'

It was a wonderful morning, and hopefully it will become a Christmas tradition for us!

Christmas Vacation- Fun at the Westport Play Place

After being diagnosed with strep throat on Thursday, December 18th and missing what was supposed to be my last day of work before Christmas on Friday, December 19th, I was feeling ok enough to drive down to Paul's parents in Louisburgh with Gemma on Sunday, December 21st. We loaded the car to the gills, Gemma watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on the DVD player three times, and we made it in record time! It was nice to have a few days before the holidays to get settled in, and Paul drove down after he finished with work on Tuesday night, December 23rd. 

Unfortunately it rained from the moment we started driving to Louisburgh until Christmas Eve, so on Tuesday morning, December 23rd, I took Gemma to an indoor play place in Westport. She loved it, as it was fairly quiet with not too many other kids around. At first she stayed in the toddler area and had to put all of the balls back in the ball pit before she could play- she may not look like me, but she's definitely my girl! After a little while, she started to explore the whole place and had a blast! Paul and I took her back for another go the Sunday after Christmas because she loved it so much!

First Haircut!

Back on Monday, December 15th Gemma got her first haircut. It was just a little trim to even her hair out before Christmas! She did great and got the certificate to prove it!