Christmas At Casa

Christmas at Casa de Esperanza begins on Christmas Eve.  We always let our entire staff off for Christmas  Eve beginning at 2:00 p.m. and no one has to return to work until 3:00 the next day, giving them plenty of time to spend with their own families.  The ones of us that are here step up to the plate and pull extra duty.  This year, for the first time, that was all of us:  Karen and Dorian, Nicole and Matt, Christina, Marc and I.

The kids wake up on Christmas Eve excited, but at 2:00, when the staff leaves, the kids crank up the excitement by several notches.  After showers and supper, everyone went back outside.   First, Dorian set off some fireworks.

The kids sitting on the concrete pad watching the fireworks.  I don't know what they would do if they ever saw a real fireworks display.

Then, there was trampoline time

and candy canes

and bicycle and running-around-on-the-cancha time.

At least one, slept through all of this.

It was getting really cold, so we herded them inside.  Once inside "Just Dance"  was a big hit,

all the while we were having popcorn and malteadas.

I normally say, "I don't care what they have.  I am not on sleep duty."  But, I was on sleep duty, and I still did not care.  They were having so much fun.  I put on a movie at 9:00 and sent them to bed at 10:15.

Some did not make it that long.

In the past, we have always brought the gifts in, after everyone was asleep.  Someone is always still awake and they get up all night to see what is under the tree.  This year we told them no presents until morning.  Either they believed us or were really tired.  Or both.  No one got up in the night to check on the presents.  Karen and I began hauling presents in at 7:00 a.m. and then woke the kids.

They all sat in a circle, sang one Christmas song and prayed.  Then it was time for the craziness to begin.

One by one, the children were called.  Each one sat in the center of the circle and opened their gift.  

Some ripped through that paper

and others carefully unwrapped so they could reuse the paper.

Each child received a jacket 

and a pair of slippers.

The stockings still needed to be checked out.

Each stocking had a pinquino (chocolate cup cake) and candy.

Then the kids opened the gift from Ronnie and Cheryl, a gift for everyone.  It was "Just Dance 4" and more controllers.  A big cheer went up.

While, Marc began his famous Christmas breakfast, many snacked on pinguinos and candy.

I hope you had as merry of a Christmas as we did.