Christmas morning was quiet this year. The kids woke up around 7:30, a late start for them, and gradually we all made our way downstairs to see what Santa had brought...
I made Emily a puppet stage and some finger puppets...
...and a mermaid with hot pink hair as well...
Jack had NO interest in opening anymore gifts after he discovered his gift from his Godparents so Emily graciously offered to open the rest for him. One by one Jack walked them over to Emily while I got to work setting up his car track...
Santa brought each of the kids a REAL slinky in their stockings...
When all of the gifts were opened the kids got out Jack and Charlie's new shape puzzles and played away...
Jack LOVES shapes and puzzles but he LOVES playing with cars even more...
I made Charlie some picture cards of each of our family members on cork board and he toted them around in the empty Folgers can ALL morning...
While we waited for our guests to arrived Emily sat down and got to work on her new bead set...
When she was all done she put it on her daddy and told him it was made especially for him...
Charlie was running around all morning like a mad man, chipmunk cheeks FULL of Mike and Ike's...
Around 9:30 my family arrived, we feasted on a banquet of delicious food and spent a few moments just catching up and enjoying each other's company...
We switched our FIND THE PICKLE game around and decided that the first person to find the pickle got to open the first present, rather than give that person an extra present. Emily, Jack and Cesar headed to the tree but Emily snatched it up before anyone even got close to finding it...
She chose a present from Grandpa Jim and Grandma Patti to open first...
Then the chaos began...
We LOVED having Cesar back this year. He stayed behind while his family went to Mexico so that he wouldn't get behind in school. He is in EIGHTH grade this year and doing awesome in the AVID program!
I think playing inside Santa's bag was just as much fun as opening the gifts...
Olivia slept through most of the chaos and woke up just as things were starting to settle down a bit...
...while Emily attempted putting on a show on for us...
Her pesky brothers just wouldn't leave her alone though...
Charlie spent most of his time getting some good one-on-one attention from my uncles...
It was the perfect way to end a week FULL of celebration.
We kept things pretty simple this year, giving a few small presents from Mom and Dad and a present each from Santa as well...
I made each of the kids a hooded dinosaur towel...
Charlie was all about his stocking and got into the Christmas candy before he opened a single gift. Jack on the other hand was FASCINATED with the gigantic present left under the tree for him from his Godparents, Uncle Mark and Auntie Tammy...
With Grandpa Jim out of commission this year there was no accordion concert and Santa decided to just leave his bag at the door instead of inviting himself in for a bit...
Santa brought just what the kids had asked for, a blender, a Lightening McQueen car and a truck...
I made the kids each a dinosaur tail and these kids were quick to get into full costume and start pretending...
Charlie spent most of his time hanging out with Uncle Mike...
Jack kept throwing his fishing line over the top (like he did at the school carnival) hoping that a prize would be attached to the end of his line. NO such luck, just a fussy sister...
Later that afternoon we headed up to my Grandma and Grandpa Fox's house to celebrate with my mom's side of the family. The kids ran straight to the playroom and played away...
Emily was elated with the "paint your own tea set" kit from her Great Grandma and Grandpa Fox...
...and the boys scored a stockpile of cars, trucks and tractors...
