December - Let the Festivus Begin

So our holiday season kicks off when we get this invite in the mail.
For reals.
Now these crazies aren't our friends but the ugly-sweater-party is legit. Oh yes, and there WAS a contest.
(Still waiting for the picture of the Ugly Sweater King & Queen... but stayed tuned - it will be SO worth your while to check back to see the tacky that trumped!)

After being a TOTAL scrooge last year by not bring ANY of my family to my office Christmas party I made up for it 7-fold this year:
I asked my parents (2) to bring up Adrienne & Nick (2), Greg (1) was coming up with the food and because our newest employee happens to be our good friend's mom I added Ryan & Mya (2) to the invite list! (unfortunately Liz couldn't make the soiree.... she actually had to go to work and.... WORK!)
ANYWAY.... to start off, Carrie wooed the younglings into the kitchen with the promise of Munchkins. She was the Pied Piper of DN, walking the halls with a trail of wee ones behind her.
Taking advantage of the moment where we could get them to do anything (bribing them with Munchkins, of course) - picture time! And HOW ABOUT the green color coordination. Not exactly your normal Christmas-esque hue....


I completely forgot that there would be dogs upon dogs at the party & it turned out to be GREAT for Adrienne - who is still a little freaked by the Halloween-dog-that-didn't-actually-DO-anything-incident. Once she saw Kelly holding the pup she warmed up pretty quickly, but it's a small dog - and she's usually ok with them. Still, this was a good sign of things to come...


Mya quickly hopped into the coloring frenzy that was taking place in reception.
(Note Luke in the background doing his finest Bat Boy impersonation)

"BLACK!? That's great that you want to share and all... but BLACK?! Do you NOT see that I'm a GIRL here!? How 'bout pink.... or purple... I'll even take RED! phhhhhHH! black.... BOYS!"


FUN!!!
(he would be even MORE enthusiastic about spending the day in my offie if he turned around to get an eyeball on Carrie showing off her stripper moves!)


Ryan came up with the same Munchkin bribery to corral the wee ones for a group shot of he Almond Kids and somewhere along the way someone else had offered up blowpops. Awesome. Naps?! What naps?! We don' need no stinkin' naps!!


Really Nick?? Take a breath. Seriously.


Dog #2... a little bigger... a little more outgoing... But somehow Kathy got Adrienne to give him a bowl of water. Well... she gave the floor water. She gave the dog an empty bowl... but the intent was there!


Food, smood. We want presents!
They turned the reception desk into the 'gift bar'.

Quick gift-break for a Billowseses family shot. The kids look just THRILLED.

Billowseses, Tylers & a Sautner all siting together nicely (and NO Munchkins involved... ok, ok... chocolate lollipops were but WHATEVER....!!! it's CHRISTMAS time!!!)

Carrie was eating Nick like an ear of corn & he was loving it. Well, until Nick's spiked hair poked her in the eyeball. Then there was no more of nibbling on Nick...

I saved the best (and biggest!) dog for last... Jamie! She's a mush & unbelievable with kids... truly... I owe her a dog bone because she got Adrienne to come around. By the end of the day Adrienne was going in for some good ear scratching & puppy hugs. BUT... this is not a picture of Adrienne & Jamie.
That would be Carrie, holding Nick upside down & Jamie going in for KISSES which leads us to....

... Scott (off camera, to the right) leading the DN Choir & then asking Nick if he wanted a kiss from Jamie - he had enough of that, thank you.

FINALLY... time to wind down (or come down from sugar highs...) but whatever the cause, we set up the 'screening room' and let me just say..... THANK HEAVEN FOR YOUTUBE!!!!
Nightmare Before Christmas had them captivated! Well, until Nick, who was sitting ON the keyboard hit Esc & was trying to use the mouse (behind him) to turn it back on again.
"That's JACK!"
"Yes Nick. It is. And if you get any closer to that computer you're going to learn about another movie firsthand... called Tron!!!!"

And here I thought they weren't going to nap from all that sugar!! They were out before I got on 287! And Adrienne was so toasted she SNORED the whole way home!!! Too funny!!