A Very Longo Christmas

We traveled North for Christmas.  We started our stay with the Longo family.  The boys played and laughed with Mimi, Papa, Zia, Great-Papa, Great Uncle Joe, and Great Aunt Cathy.

We spent Christmas Eve with my Italian side of the family eating Italian food.  Pasta, cucumbers, and breadsticks, for Henry; John entertained himself with a spoon.  During dessert, Henry huffed and puffed to blow out the candles on the cake.  Later Henry spread his hands to show us that Mimi loves him "not this much" but "this much!"

After dinner the boys opened their presents from Great Papa.  Joy on the face of Henry as he tore away the wrapping paper to find Edward the Train (part of the Thomas the Train crew).  Joy on the face of Mama when she saw that John received a beautiful outfit (hooray for a non-hand-me-down!).  Joy on the face of John when he spotted the layers of tissue paper in the box.  The evening ended with the usual: Christmas pajamas and a reading of "The Night before Christmas" by Papa and Great Papa.

Christmas morning brought more smiles.  Henry's gifts included trains, construction vehicles, tractors, books, and a Thomas the Train Pez dispenser.  John received a musical turtle, a piano, a remote, an Elmo plane, books, and two colorful pacifiers.  During Christmas breakfast, Henry had the table roaring with laughter as he showed off his "crazy eyes" (a trick that he inherited from yours truly).

Later that week, we reunited with the extended Longo family for dinner.  Santa made an appearance and brought gifts for Henry, John, and my second cousin's daughter, Lucy.  After dinner, Lucy made a beeline for Henry, and the two of them played sweetly.  At one point, I heard Lucy ask him, "Do you like me?"  Henry hugged her.

We are blessed to have two families in one town, so the Makris edition is up next!