The After Christmas Special

In their Christmas jams- a Bigler tradition.  Frankie tore off the wrapping and joyfully exclaimed "My old jammies!  The ones that used to be mine!"

This year we got our first real tree.  After a trip to the butterfly house at Calloway Gardens we decided to cover the tree in birds and butterflies.  We cut paper butterflies and stuck them to every branch.  Of course Frankie played Mommies and babies with them, and by the time Christmas rolled around their was nary creature to be seen. (Why don't people say "nary" anymore)?
I'd intended to decorate the tree with all of our favorite ornaments too, but then Jensie deemed it a "nature only" tree and I had to fight even to convince her to let Asher string up his preschool-made beauties.  She did eventually concede, but only on the condition that anything "not naturey" be relegated to back of the tree.

As Frankie says, "Santa snuck in on us."  In exchange for a tall glass of almond milk and a handful of gluten-free cookies, Santa left a doll house for Frances, a castle for Asher, and a cage for Jensie's new yellow parakeet--Louis.

We didn't get to eat Pizza Dough after all.  He flew away one afternoon and never came back.  We had Soyrizo tacos instead. We still have his brother, Big Money, though so we'll try again on Easter.

It was a white Christmas--the first in living memory.  Snow fell on Christmas day and lasted until the next morning.  Having Nate home to stay, my sister come to live, and a white powdered lawn made this year's Christmas especially merry.