Christmas Break Part 2

Amazingly, Bo, Clara, and Anna all made Santa’s nice list. He delivered gifts and packages on Christmas Eve. We don’t wrap the big Santa gifts, but all of the other packages were wrapped and placed under the tree. All of the kids had stockings that were overflowing and Bo’s big gifts included a “Firetruck goes to town and a train for under the tree” that he’d cut pictures out of in early December and told Santa about each time he saw him. The girls big gift was a wooden doll house, complete with dolls and furniture.

I captured their first reaction to Santa’s loot on video. Mike and I both woke up late (7 am!) and no one else was awake. Mike went in to get the girls up while I readied the video camera and he said that Clara was jumping up and down in her bed she was so excited. Mike asked her if she knew who came last night and she was even more excited. As soon as Bo heard the girls shuffling, he came running out of his room too. Even the M & M’s in his stocking thrilled him.

After we opened our stockings, we left the rest of the presents for later in the morning after Grandpa and Grandma arrived. We got everyone dressed and they played with their new toys while I prepared sticky buns and breakfast casserole for our traditional Christmas brunch. The pictures below of all of them playing are some of my favorites.

Grandpa and Grandma arrived (with more presents!) and we started opening gifts while brunch finished cooking. We took a break to eat and then finished opening gifts. Our front room looked like Santa exploded. The best gifts of the day were purchased by Bo. His school has a holiday store and I sent money with him to pick out a gift for Mike, me, and the girls. I was very impressed with his selections. For the girls, he bought Anna a toy car and putty, for Clara a foam number puzzle and putty, for Mike he found a Cubs magnet and a keychain that looks like a tire with a measuring tape inside. Of course, I thought my gift was the best. He bought me a ceramic snowman that lights up in different colors, a red felt rose, and a fan with Tiger stripes. Does he know us well or what? I loved that he was so excited for us to open the gifts he had chosen and I was so impressed by the thought that he put into selecting gifts that he knew we would like. Not bad for a four year old! And he didn’t even spend all the money I sent with him.

I had originally purchased plaid Christmas dresses for the girls, but at the last minute found these adorable Santa dresses. Eventually, they are going to have a say in what I dress them in, so I might as well take advantage of the opportunity to dress them as ridiculously cute Santa babies while I can.

Grandpa and Grandma left mid-afternoon, the girlies took a nap, and we spent the rest of the day finding homes for all of their new things and relaxing. We did manage to capture a few cute pictures of the trio in front of the tree in their Christmas attire. By this point, Anna was in pants instead of tights, but I still think they look pretty adorable.