Christmas 2011: A Traumatic Santa Visit and Julia Stays Up Til Midnight to Help Us Open Presents

This year's tree. Fancy photo editing by Mark.

In early December we made our annual visit to see Santa at Tiny Tots. Last year Julia tolerated Santa and James lasted about 10 seconds on Santa’s lap before bawling. This year, well, as soon as they saw Santa they started to howl. Beforehand I told other moms how sometimes the best Santa pictures are the ones where they’re crying. But then after seeing the tears on my own kids' faces I felt horrible. Thankfully they seem to have emerged unscathed. When we show them the picture they both point at it and excitedly exclaim, "Santa!" It's funny that they recognize themselves in the picture but it doesn't seem to register with them at all how unhappy they are in that moment.

For the first time I helped my mom make the traditional Mikulis family Christmas morning breakfast. I countered her pork-heavy part of the proceedings with a line-up of Hanukkah-friendly Trader Joe’s foods, including potato latkes and powdered sugar-dusted Danish pancakes (a.k.a. sufganiyot).


Before breakfast, Julia makes Uncle Michael ride the horsey while she rides the zebra.


Papa toasts with a slice of bacon.


Mommy steals a kiss from James in the kitchen.

James and Julia wore their matching reindeer pajamas with reindeer feet ($1 each at a garage sale) and opened their gifts.


Julia opens Sesame Street figurines and then has to smell each one.
"Mmm... Cookie Monster-scented!"





Since the babies, particularly James, are obsessed with getting the mail each day Mommy and Daddy got them their own mailbox.


Daddy reads over a wooden postcard and sends it via toddler mail.


The babies' Daddy's new mailbox.






James has always been fascinated by pictures on the wall...


In fact, here he is at one month looking at pictures over Mommy's shoulder.


This is the only photo I got of the babies in their matching pajamas where they're actually sitting on the couch...


Escape!

In the afternoon the babies wore their dress-up clothes and we put a bunch of wrapped presents in front of them to play with. I held my breath hoping nothing inside was TOO breakable.


Julia's not happy about waking from her nap... or Mommy taking her picture.






I sure hope there's nothing breakable in that one.




Julia does her best Spanish dancer impression.


"Darling, make sure they pull the car around, IMMEDIATELY... I shan't be late to the opera!"


Daddy helps the babies ride their new PlasmaCar.


Then Daddy rides his the babies' new PlasmaCar. Although this photo doesn't show it, they were not happy about it one bit.


Papa pretends to eat James.



We planned to have the adults open their gifts after the babies were asleep like we did last year, because we didn’t think James and Julia's attention spans would last the two hour gift onslaught. But Julia, possibly keyed up after a day of activities or having heard us in the living room, decided that tonight she’s not going to sleep. After an hour and a half of trying to get her down, we gave up and let her open gifts with us until midnight. She had a ball helping us rip open paper and needed help crossing the river of gift-related refuse. We regretted not opening gifts earlier in the day so James could have joined us too.


Julia helps Papa open his gift.


The gift of Julia is the gift that keeps on giving.




Mommy helps transport Julia over the river of gift wrap.

Here's our 2011 holiday letter.

So, Who Do They Take After?

Ever since the little ones were born, there's been much talk about who they look like. Let's start with the easy one...


J u l i a

Julia looks like Mark. I was shocked not to have noticed it until she was two weeks old and someone brought it to our attention. Now it seems totally obvious. They have the same nose, ears, and big eyes, plus their facial features are similarly proportioned.


Julia in her first month at her resembling Mark-iest


Mark with a death wish on his first birthday. I like that the cake is decorated with "M.P." Also, I want that apple chair.

I've been told Julia looks a little like me in this photo where she's in mid tumble.

J a m e s

Then there's James. Overall he seems to favor my side of the family. It might not be immediately apparent, but I can see it in our noses (poor guy), deep set eyes, and mouth. He also has my translucent (read: very pale) skin. He has blond hair like Mark's, but it has a slightly reddish cast. (Mine is obviously dyed red now but it had a slight auburn cast as a child.)

James at two months; me at 3 years

James has big hands and feet, a really strong neck (somewhere under all the chins), and seems to have the build (and budding gut) of a Mikulis man.


James kind of looks like both my brother and me. Apparently when we were children my parents would mix us up, so they'd have to embroider our names on all our clothing.

You'll have to take my word for it, but of everyone James most strongly resembles (I think) Uncle Michael (here pictured with a chocolate cigar). Here's James at his resembling Uncle Michael-iest. James also looks like my dad, obviously pre-beard.

Even though James is more Mikulis-y, he still has some Pilloff in him. I definitely see a resemblance to Mark's brother, Daniel. James has Daniel's slightly curly hair and face shape.


James at his resembling Uncle Daniel-iest


Daniel and Mark at Google in New York City. (The Google sign is made of actual Lego.)


Mark (center), a.k.a. Julia clone, being crowded out by his siblings. My mom thinks Julia will look like Mark's sister Rachel, and of course I think James resembles Daniel.