Christmas at last

A few days before Christmas we found out that my mom would be joining us, along with my sister. It meant that we had more adults, more jigsaw puzzling, less work, and more stockings. A very nice Christmas surprise.
This was a very pretty table that I had nothing to do with. Rob made his tradtional New Mexican enchiladas from the Almagordo Fire Station breakfast where his mother's family first had them (albeit without the fried egg on top). He set the table and he always washes the china, crystal, and silver himself. Fantastic.
After dinner, the kids were so excited (and adults were already so tired) that we dispensed with all the cruel traditions and let them open their presents before the Christmas Eve program. They got their jammies (as seen above), and they opened their presents to each other (which we used to do in my family growing up).
This is really the first year they've had their own money to buy presents with, instead of just wrapping something I'd bought and putting their name on it. They took it very seriously, and I was so pleased to see how well they did by each other. Maddie and Will got Sebastian a Wall-E toy and that dinosaur he's holding (named Amy and hugged in bed all Christmas Eve). Sebastian and Maddie bought Will Bakugans, which were his heart's desire. Maddie received the pineapple lip gloss she'd wanted from Will, and Sebi bought her the pinkest, fluffiest slippers ever.
Both givers and receivers were so excited that I thought they'd levitating.
Once they'd changed into pj's we managed to have a much calmer program with songs and scriptures and nativity reenactment.
Here they were, let loose to see what Santa had brought. He kept a low profile this year, except for a bike for Sebi and a music stand for Maddie and Will. Unlike our friends, Rob and I gave the kids the Wii, and I was such a control freak that I hid it and made them open it last. Horrible, I know, but I didn't want to spend all of Christmas in front of the TV with kids hopping around while I tried to put it together. I am going to stand by the decision, because after I did get it going (in the afternoon), the kids began to play the Wii nonstop. They haven't stopped playing yet. They only have Wii sport and Lego Star Wars and the Indiannapolis 500, but they've been playing incessantly. Rob and I have barely seen them!
Here's Kiecoo, swigging the Elixir of Life to get her through all the noise, noise, Noise, NOISE!!!
We were visited by Rob's father and sister, and made a humungous mess of this place. It was a good Christmas, but I'm sure glad I've got another year before we have to put on the next one.Posted by Picasa

Comments

bostonshumways said…
what a fun christmas! We (jeff) wish we lived closer so we could come play the wii. Thanks again for the totally LOVELY christmas package.....you guys are really the best.
9:29 AM
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