We celebrated Christmas the Batter way this year, exchanging all immediate family gifts on Christmas Eve, then opening the rest Christmas day. Gramma Lou was scheduled to work Christmas morning at the hospital, so this worked out perfectly and she got to enjoy the kiddos opening the gifts she gave them. (She then got put "on call" Christmas morning and didn't have to go to work. Even better!!)
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| Family time / 2 Rapunzel dolls! |
Ben woke up Christmas morning at 6:45am asking about Chuggington, the train set Abuelita gave him Christmas Eve. It did not register with him that Santa had come to town and he could have cared less about opening more presents! We went into the living room, saw all the other gifts, and he went right to Chuggington and played the morning away until his sister woke up after 8:00.
Em sleepily came out of Gramma's room, saw the gifts and immediately found all the ones with her name on them and went to town for Christmas part two! She was very happy with all the "Alex Little Hands" arts and crafts projects she received (I secretly love them more. I am craft challenged and these buys have given me great ideas for do it yourself projects for the future.) and also enjoyed the smaller stuff in her stocking.
When we finally pried Chuggington out of Ben's hands and put unwrapped presents into his, he slowly "got it" and opened a few (with help!). He then wanted to play with each gift before moving on to the next. It made the unwrapping experience long, but it was super cute to see him enjoy his gifts.
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| Thomas ABC puzzle!! / Daddy getn in on Chuggington action. |
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| Arts and crafts in action! |
We moved onto Christmas part three around lunchtime at Aunt Lisa's house. Emma scored with a ballerina leotard and money for dance lessons! (We signed her up and she is starting in January.) I purposely made Ben leave Chuggington at Gramma's (a monstrous feat resulting in tears, let me tell you), but the payoff was worth it because he received a bunch of wooden trains that go with his Thomas collection and he spent the afternoon coupling and buffering and riding them on the rails he built on Aunt Lisa's kitchen nook ramp.
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| The ballerina and the conductor. |
Christmas part four, the final hurrah, came when Grandpa and Grandma Nancy came over with their presents. I had requested "sporty" gifts that will get the kids moving and grooving and they received junior sized tennis rackets, a nerf football, all kinds of board games, clothes and countless other toys that should keep them busy until Spring!! All in all, a very successful two days of giving and family - Emma even said the prayer at Christmas dinner! It was super awesome and surprisingly very appropriate for the occasion.
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