Day 1216. Even though I knew that I needed the time, I did not set an alarm, as I've been going to bed at 2:30. It was again about 8:45, when I looked at the clock. The kids were eager to open the last door on the advent calendars. Then we sat down for breakfast. After breakfast we put their Christmas pj's on, as it's the 24th that we celebrate Christmas in Austria. I needed to do a lot of cooking today, and I also still needed to put the lights on the Christmas tree. I went to the kitchen right away to get the 4.3 kilo turkey into the oven. I had looked up a recipe online and made a filling for it, which took some time. Then I put it into the oven and was able to go downstairs with them. The kids had been watching a Christmas movie, while I was in the kitchen.
We went downstairs together, and Tammy helped me put the lights on the tree. The light string was really long, and she was holding the still rolled-up unusued part of it. Sammy also wanted to touch the lights, but Tammy wouldn't let him, until we stopped her. After the tree was covered, we hung it over the fan and across the room to the other wall, which was nice. Then I put the electric candles on the tree, and we were done. I needed to go upstairs to continue cooking.
The kids wanted to come as well and continued watching the Christmas movie. I was peeling 1.6 kilos of sweet potatoes, cutting them and then boiling them to make a sweet potato casserole, something I make for Randy who used to eat that in the US. I had to wait for the turkey to be done before I could put it into the oven. It was about 1:45. As the rice with mushrooms and peas was also done, it was time for us to eat. I finished making the casserole, while Randy and the kids were eating their food. Once it was in the oven, I could also sit down, but by that time they were pretty much done eating. The kids had the turkey's drumsticks and were drumming with them. Randy had bought a cake, and they all had some. They had already had some of the Christmas cookies we baked together for breakfast. Sammy then wanted some apple juice, which is his new thing, and he loves saying the German word for it, "Apfelsaft". In short, I had to constantly get up for something while trying to eat my food. But it was all really good. The turkey was excellent, which Randy really pointed out as the turkey in Mali had been so tough and dry. This turkey here had not grown up in Mali!
As late as it was, it was time for their nap right away. It was already going on 2:30 anyway, which is over an hour later than usual. Sammy fell asleep really quickly, but not the other two. I kept telling them they needed to sleep to get their presents after, and eventually Emmy finally fell asleep. I left before Tammy was asleep, and she actually never fell asleep. As for me, I was so very tired that I needed to close my eyes for a few minutes, even though I had work to do. It was short, and I didn't sleep, but it still helped. I got up again and went downstairs to arrange the presents under and around the tree.
Thanks to it being warmer again outside, it was not 16 degrees anymore (61 F), but just over 17. The first thing I did was to turn the heater on, then I started putting the presents by the tree. By the time I was done, Randy was already shouting that all the kids were awake and wanted to come downstairs. I went upstairs, we talked briefly about whether they should get their presents in light of Emmy's behavior and Tammy's lack of sleep, and then we went downstairs.
The lights were off and only the lights on the tree were lit. They stood in awe, when they saw the many gifts by the tree. I had asked them how many gifts they thought there were. Tammy said one each, while Emmy said three or four for him alone. However, there were a lot more gifts than that. Mommy had gone overboard a little. We sat down on the floor by the tree, sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jesus and a few other Christmas songs. We also talked to Jesus and thanked him. The whole time they wanted to grab gifts and open them. Then the time had finally come.
Most gifts were for all three of them, but they each had one special gift for just them. We had decided to let them open half the gifts tonight (Austrian custom) and the other half in the morning (American custom). In the end they had actually opened two thirds of the gifts.
They alternated, opening one gift at the time. Tammy and Sammy had both opened their main gift, but not Emmy. Tammy got a Peppa Pig doll house and Sammy bells to ring. However, he was more interested in the doll house as it made sounds, when you pushed the button. We had already finished opening the presents for today, but then I let Emmy also open his main gift. He had repeatedly been saying that he wanted a drumset again, as the one from his birthday was broken. And that's what his main gift was today. I had stepped it up from last time, but it was still rather cheap and flimsy. By the end of the night, one of the five drums was already broken. It took me some time to put it together, and Emmy was pretty impatient to start playing. He then played it really hard, his talent being very obvious once again, and I guess those kids' drumsets are just not made to be played so hard.
Another one of their favorite gifts were the Paw Patrol headquarters. I put those together as well. And it also had a button that made sounds, which meant that Sammy wanted to push it. Sammy wanted all those gifts his siblings were playing with, but his siblings were not excited, when he'd come to play them as well. Sammy started crying, his feelings hurt. I then let him open one of the gifts we had kept for tomorrow. It was a little pad with lots of buttons that made sounds plus lights going on. He really enjoyed it. Unfortunately the bells did not interest him like I thought they would. After Emmy was done with the drums, first Tammy and then Sammy also got to play them. Sammy was really happy, when he did.
And then it was already 6 pm and time for me to go upstairs and make dinner for them. Tammy and Emmy decided to come upstairs as well and watch videos. But first they stuck some of the Paw Patrol stickers they had received onto their beds. While they were watching, I was making their dinner. Then we sat down to eat. They ate some, then continued eating in the bathtub. Emmy was pretty cranky again. Tammy and Emmy had received Paw Patrol bathrobes they were excited about, and they both put them on, when they came out of the water. After they all had their Christmas pj's on, we sat down to open the last doors of the last advent calendars and read the stories inside. Then I prayed for them and put them to bed. It was going on 8:30 pm. I sat down by them, and Tammy was once again pretty restless and wouldn't stop talking. At about 9 pm Randy thankfully took my place, and I went to the kitchen to make my salad. But first I had some putting away of food to do, and so it was 10 pm before I was able to sit down atnd eat. Then I started working on today's pictures, and I knew it was gonna be another short night. At 2 am Emmy walked up to me and then went to sleep in my bed. Now it's 2:40 and I still have to clean up the kitchen before going to bed.
