Sophie's First Christmas

Sophie's first Christmas was spent chasing her around until that magical hour, 6 PM, her bedtime. We tagteamed. Whoever wasn't doing vegetable prep, dishes, table setting, helping Lottie by changing Molly or her English friend, Emily, or sitting in an exhausted heap in a corner somewhere, was on Sophie duty. Eleven months old, almost 17 pounds, and walking since she was nine months, this baby is one for the books. Even she embraces her crib at 6 PM, completely exhausted. The tough thing is for all the adults in her orbit not to follow suit. She already knows how to ride her new trike. Did I mention she's been walking for a while? Did I mention she's only 11 months or that she DOES NOT STOP?

Somehow, dinner came together miraculously well and was served within minutes of Sophie's bedtime. At one point there were four of us in my daughter's kitchen. One mashing potatoes, one carving the boneless rib roast, one making gravy and one making a horseradish/mustard sauce and snipping a parsley garnish for the roasted root vegetables. Here's what we had.

An almost seven pound boneless rib roast
RBG (rich, brown gravy)
Mashed potatoes (butter, cream, uh huh)
Roasted root vegetables (butternut squash, sweet potato, parsnips and carrots)
Fresh green beans
Individual Yorkshire puddings
Horseradish sauce (Jane's recipe) and hot English mustard

Then Christmas pudding and mince pies and cream and custard

Last year's Christmas we stayed awake and at Jane's until midnight, playing Trivial Pursuit and distracting her from her nine-months-full of pregnancy. And then there was Sophie and it was Christmas '06 and we all were ready for bed at 9 PM.

Lottie made it to 8 and then she just needed her bed and she needed it now. Of course, Molly and Emily had to be wrestled into their pajamas (there's a reason these dolls are recommended for girls 8+ and it has everything to do with wrangling their limbs into their wee little shoes and frilly socks and party frocks). Before bed, though, Uncle Colin and Lottie took some time with the fabulous MOMA pop-up book from Aunt Anne.

Did I mention how good it feels to have our son, Colin, in town?
Just in case you thought it was some ordinary pop-up book, this book is somewhat like getting an original Calder for Xmas, but instead of these fabulous hanging mobiles they're securely and mysteriously mounted and tucked into the folds of a book. Within each pop-up, there is a hidden two. It is fabulous.