As has been the case for everything lately, our Christmas was altered by the pandemic. Obviously, with the border closed (and my parents in Italy) we weren't driving to visit anyone in Oregon, and we decided it was also best to keep our physical distance from Kyler's family...
...especially after Craig's class all got sent home to quarantine until Christmas Eve due to 3 cases in his class.
Still, we were going to make the best of it, including going to go swimming at WEM (after quarantine was over). Oh warm waves, how I've missed you. Of course, this plan had to get scrapped - after we'd already bought the tickets - when the province shut down all pools, gyms, rec centres, indoor dining, etc.
Oh well. Instead we celebrated Craig getting out of isolation by going sledding
and playing on the playground.
Not quite as exciting as water slides and wave pools, but still fun.
Another way Christmas was different was in the kiddos' Christmas concerts. Obviously with all the restrictions, a traditional concert with everyone packed into the gym wasn't going to cut it. But with a lot of hard work from the teachers, the kids all had virtual concerts. Craig had to do even the recordings from home,
Calista got to live her dream,
and Caleb got to wander aimlessly while his teachers tried to herd him like the sheep he was dressed up as.
But there was also plenty of traditional fun to be had this Christmas. The kids excitedly put ornaments on the tree,
I made the kiddos get all dressed up for Christmas Sunday, even if our worship services were going to be online and in our home.
And don't they look amazing?
And silly. 
Always silly.
We made a gingerbread house,
Why not? We got pictures at least, and the longer it sits, the grosser it gets.
We participated in a virtual Rasmussen Family get-together and talent show.
Calista and Kyler played piano,
And Craig used magic and science to cause a volcano to erupt!
It's science!We got to go see Christmas lights, in keeping with tradition.
The boys fell asleep in the car on the way there, but we got them to wake up and everyone enjoyed looking at the lights.
Once the kids were out of school, we played a lot of board games.
I tried to keep our deals in Monopoly fair - I told Calista she should make me pay her more than $100 for a property that would complete my set, for example - but I also showed no mercy.
Kiddos gotta learn to lose, and who better to teach them than me?
And, of course, it's not a traditional Christmas without presents. We had plenty of those,
and someone to watch over them, too.
The morning started with Caleb asking if it was Christmas and if Baby Jesus had been born yet, as he had asked nearly every morning for at least a week. After I told him that it was indeed Christmas, everyone excitedly started into stockings,
full of socks and chocolate.
And then the real fun began.
Although they did ask me several times the next week, "what DID I get for Christmas? I have nothing to play with!" Sigh.
They did play with their things, FYI.
Doing Science!
It actually worked this time!
While it would have been nice to be with family, we enjoyed our time together. Merry Christmas to all!
