Christmas 2011
Before it’s time to blog Valentine’s day, I realized that I’d better finish blogging Christmas! I was on such a roll that I posted Christmas Eve on Christmas Eve, but then got swept up in the Christmas fun and never shared about the actual day. I have about a billion photos to share, so bear with me.
Just like last year, Noah was up first and we got to hang out with him for a while before Ava joined us.
After everyone wiped the sleep from their eyes and combed their hair (sidenote: always hated this when I was a kid, the getting all dolled up before heading in to tear into gifts, but now as a mom who needs just a bit of time to be presentable for all the pictures, I totally get it!), we headed downstairs to see if Santa had been to visit! Clearly, he had.
We opened stockings first and then moved on to the gifts from Santa.
Ava asked Santa for a “Bambi toy” and a panda bear. Noah was less specific, but lucked out anyway with a favorite book and some cars.
Santa also brought the kiddos a toy to share – a tunnel! So much fun!
We took a break for breakfast at this point – breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, and mimosas are officially a tradition now. After we filled our tummies (and Mommy & Daddy scored some coffee), it was back to the presents!
Gifts were unintentionally sort of themed this year. Ava received lots of great books (perfect for a pre-reader) and Noah is now the proud owner of lots of “things that go.”
Ava’s new “typer,” a vintage Craigslist find that she LOVES.
Every quiet time she spends quite a while typing her manifesto in her room.
One funny story from the day, that I want to be sure gets recorded, is that John P. Casey basically saved Christmas. While each of the kiddos received lovely gifts, we usually stay away from character toys, etc. Since Ava received so many books (mainly from us) most of her early present opening was of the “not a toy” category. She and Noah were both delighted to open up Woody and Jessie dolls from John. Commercialization for the win!
Of course, the packaging of the gifts was also one of the hits of the day!
Both kids got just a little something handmade/homemade for the holiday. Even though it’s a time consuming thing for Matt & I, it’s really important to us that they know that we invested some time and effort (not just money) into making this a special holiday for them. Noah’s gift was pretty simple – a soft bucket for all the new matchbox cars he received. It’s sitting in front of him in this picture (where you can also see his new car mat – that thing has gotten a workout so far!).
Ava’s homemade gift was a little more complicated – a dollhouse made from to cabinet drawers purchased at the Habitat Restore. It’s perfect for her growing Playmobil collection.
Artwork and windows that she can rearrange to her heart’s content!
The kids were wiped out and ready for lunch by the time we opened all their gifts, so Matt and I set ours aside for later and got them fed and down for naps. We spent naptime opening our own gifts (Matt scored a new cooking thermometer and I got an iPhone 4s!) and finishing putting together new toys in advance of an afternoon of playtime.
When the kids woke up, we spent time just playing with the new toys and taking some new wheels out for a spin around the block.
Thanks, Mahgie & Poppie, for the new wagon and scooter! They are a huge hit!
Matt roasted us a turkey for dinner (perfectly done with the new thermometer) and we brought the day to a very lovely end with a delicious family dinner.
In the end, Christmas 2011 was just was we always wanted – lovely, fun, and relaxing. We spent the next week just playing and enjoying time at home before returning to work/school and it turns out that was the very best gift of them all!