I give you: A post Christmas post.

I'd love to be able to devote more time to writing on this blog. Ridiculous, long-winded prose like the good ol' days when my blog was bouncing and fresh. But this was back when I had more time and more brain cells. Nevertheless, writing is something I've always enjoyed and I want to try harder to find the time to write more.

That being said, today is not that day. Shoot, I just need to get Christmas documented before it's too far gone for pete's sake. Because otherwise it'd be kind of like how some people leave their Christmas tree up until March. If you're not following my comparison, don't worry. I'm not either.

Anyway. We had a lovely Christmas spent in Las Vegas. The roads were great for both trips down and back AND the girls were little angels in the car. The true definition of a Christmas miracle.

I give you: Christmas Eve.

A rousing interpretation of the Nativity. Rachel played a minor, yet highly important role.

I give you: Christmas morning.

I give you: Christmas highlights.
• A Perplexus Epic. I'm pleased to say it's actually a challenge for Tom. And although close, he hasn't even passed it yet, and it's been three long weeks since. However, he's significantly better than I am. I can't get past marker 15. In brief, it's a big maze inside a sphere, basically. It's neat.
• A Blendtec for me. Lots of smoothies have ensued. I even made tortilla soup one night. All ya' had to do was dump in various ingredients and then push "Soups." Isn't that quaint? Soup from a blender? And according to the accompanying recipe book, I can make peanut butter. I'm sure it's not the most cost effective route for a family that consumes large quantities of peanut butter on a weekly basis—but still. It's just nice to be able to brag that I can make my own peanut butter, should the need arise.
• Radiohead songs gone lullaby. For Maren.

I give you: pictures of said products.

• Clara got a whole trunkful of new toys and what not, but to keep up with the standard Clara we all know and love, she won't play with any of it unless I'm willing to play with it all with her. Oh, and she prefers all of Maren's new toys to her own. I'm sure Santa's feeling a little exasperated over that one.

So that's the gist of it, basically. Since Christmas, I've been fighting the war on naps, and what a fight it has been—I assure you. I've found that the best way to handle difficult situations with my two-year-old is to lock myself in my room and lie on my bed in a fetal position while Clara looms just outside, jiggling the door handle with an urgent "Mom! Come out!" on repeat. This method should continue to work swimmingly until the day comes when she realizes that my company isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Also since Christmas, we've been mostly huddled indoors, donning fuzzy socks and mostly going crazy due to the mostly ice-cold January temperatures outside. But! Today did heat up to a balmy 18 degrees so we instantly pounced on that and hit the town in shorts and sandals.

I give you: Other odds and ends that I'm just sure no one cares about.
• I've taken up crossword puzzles to fight off dementia. You think I'm kidding. But I'm not.
• Tom's taken up 100 push-ups each day. Something to do with something inspirational his brother said.
• I rid my hair of at least 6 inches, good riddance.
• I got a little teary-eyed while watching the most recent episode of Downton. Can you even believe how weepy I've become in my old age?
• Maren is still the best baby in the world.

So that's that.
I give you: A cute little Maren in granny pants.

Cheers to 2013!