We Had a Little Christmas

Our Christmas was perfectly perfect despite the lack of sleep. We finally let Nate crawl into our bed around 6 am and Luke followed around 6:30. By 7, we woke up the girls so we could eat some breakfast before 9 am Church.
We let the kids look through their stocking while we got breakfast (it was baked french toast with buttermilk syrup, so really we got "dessert" ready) made. They were so good about not opening presents until after church. I am so grateful that they understood what Christmas was all about. An what better way to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior than with song and loved ones.
Our sacrament program was amazing and I was so happy to wish some many friends a Merry Christmas. With all the singing and hugging I felt like I was living It's a Wonderful Life. I think I may have been singing too enthusiastically because Karen Malanca kept turning around and looking oddly at me. Also a fun fact -- Luke cries during any slow Christmas song. So he would alternate between clapping and whooping when the choir was done and sticking his lip out and weeping. At least he gave me lots of kisses.

We headed back home and some kids (and mothers) opted to change back in PJs. Livy decided that she would rather steal Sadie's presents instead of open her own.In her defense, the first two presents she opened were PJs and book. I'd steal Sadie's bike too. Unfortunately, she kept telling people that she got a bike for Christmas.I promise that Livy did get lots of really fun presents -- My Little Ponies, a baby doll, snap n style dolls, games, a laptop. . .Ellie, on the other hand was overly enthusiastic about PJs. Ellie got lots of girlie gifts -- shoes, lotions, jewelry, clothes. . . and her own room!! She was over the moon excited about it. Sadie was not. "Oh boy, now I'm going to have horrible dreams all night," she told us. She managed to get over it and help Ellie move everything into her room the next day. Then I found her video recording a tour of her room, "This is my old bed. Now it's a trampoline."Nate had a really fun Christmas. Legos, Bey blades, Paper Jamz. . . Basically everything that is fun to play with and Nate had a blast playing with everything Christmas day. Dustin and I totally disagree when it comes to present opening. He wants to hurry up and get everything open and I'm much more of the play-as-you-go kind of person. We have all day!! Just DO NOT open a present without me in the room. I will hunt you down, rewrap it and force you to recreate the excitement.
Everything Sadie opened was "exactly what I always wanted." They always came with great big hugs too. Oh and she also may tell you that she got an iPad. Sadie believes whatever fantasy world she has created in her head. We may have told her a million times that it is a Barbie laptop. She will still tell you she got an iPad for Christmas.Luke's gift included a giant dinosaur, a scooter and Nate's entire GeoTrax collection. I had them in a giant box that I kept forgetting to wrap. That is until Luke wandered into my room one day, opened the box and screamed, "TRAIN TRACKS!" in delight. I quickly grabbed the box (the box was huge and I'm pretty sure I almost toppled over in this maneuver) and insisted it was full of spider. "No, train tracks." Sadie came in and helped me tape it all up and wrap it as we told Luke scary spider stories. My trick did not work. Every time he came in my room, he would walk right up to the giant box and say, "Train tracks."

It doesn't even matter, though, because to Luke there is only ONE Christmas gift. It's called "POCOYOPOCOYOPOCOYO" or maybe a Pocoyo train track.The second he started opening that thing he could barely contain his excitement. We could not get him to open another present for the entire day.After a few hours, all of the presents were opened and everyone was off playing. Sadie the Unphotogenic was riding her new bike with Nate. Luke was out there too, but of course Pocoyo had to come along. I was inside cleaning up when I asked Ellie what Santa had gotten her for Christmas because I couldn't remember her opening it. "Nothing." WHHHATTTT? My daughter was on the naughty list? Oh my gosh, I started freaking out. We searched everywhere for the lost gift. Finally 15 minutes later I had a mental jog. . .and a few minutes later there was a knock on the door and a whole load of presents Santa must have found left over on his sleigh. PHEW!Just what she asked for: A hot pink camera with her name blinged on it. I bet that was a tall order to fill!

The rest of the day was a blur. The boys spent all day putting together Legos and we had a yummy square steak and mashed potato dinner followed by molten lava cakes and ice cream.Luke and Livy did not join us for much as they were. . . STILL playing with Pocoyo. Did I mention that it plays the theme song over and over and over and over and over again?? Hours upon hours. Those batteries must die soon.

We wrapped up the evening with our brand new BYU firepit (do you love BYU as much as we do?? I highly doubt it), You Can Dance (ABBA Just Dance if you can imagine something some awesome existing) and Just Dance 3. We hope you had yourself a Merry Little Christmas too!