Christmas

Christmas break was both a horrific nightmare and a fun time for all. Keillor started the break with a double ear infection and a case of RSV. Emaline had a cold (which seems to have returned).

Keillor gets nebulized

With a prescription for amoxicillin and a nebulizer for his screaming—I mean breathing—treatments, we got him on the road to recovery, just in time to drive to Alabama two days late. The drive down was actually nice. The kids slept until we got to Nashville, enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Cracker Barrel, and slept again until Huntsville. The crying started once we got into Birmingham traffic. Hey, if you’re going to have a car with two screaming babies, might as well be during Christmas shopping rush hour on the busiest highway in Alabama.
I should back up. Before leaving, the kids got their present from Grandmommy and Granddaddy, a Jumparoo. This is their most prized possession.

Keillor shows off his Jumparoo skills

We ended up getting a second-hand Jumparoo, and now the kids can jump and talk to each other. Keillor is a fan of the jumping part, while Emaline prefers all of the gadgets on board. We ended up buying a car-top carrier so that we could carry all of their stuff with us. The Jumparoo came along, as did their Bumbos, play mat, bouncy seats, Pack-and-Play, and about a hundred other odds and ends.
In Birmingham, they stayed with Grammy and PawPaw Dee. As usual, sleeping was an issue, but they seemed to be tuckered out at the end of every day.

Keillor asleep on the floor under the Christmas tree

They were excited to get more presents including a talking puppy dog, a bilingual LeapFrog music center, books, and a baby doll (which Emaline immediately fell in love with).

Emaline loving on her baby doll

They spent the day at GaGa and GeeGee’s where they played with Keillor’s GaGa-made wooden train and Emaline’s GaGa-made bassinet (for her baby doll or Raggedy Ann). They also saw the glimmering lake.

Keillor plays with his GaGa-made train

Emaline pretends she is a doll to try out her GaGa-made bassinet

Aimee and I got some baby-free time to go shopping for a few hours. That was different.
The twins got to Skype with their Arizona grandparents and Uncle Keil. While they may not have been sure what they were looking at, they like to watch screens that light up. Hearing their voices was a nice treat.
The drive home was eventful. Well, the only event was the nearly-constant screaming of our two angels. Guess they didn’t want to come home.
To see more photos of all of their Christmas fun, go to our Picasa site.