Christmas 2011

Christmas Eve:
This was the first year of setting out stockings and Santa Goodies for all three boys.  Last year the boys really didn't know about Santa, so this was the first time they were excited about the idea of Santa coming.   Before we went to bed Doug and I set out the stockings, a few presents, a plate with half eaten cookies and a thank you note from Santa for them to find in the morning.

 Christmas Morning:

The boys blew past the cookie plate - didn't even see it!  Oh well.  Better luck next year.  They did see their stockings and made a bee-line for them.  They were all happy to see the stuffed Elmo and Cookie Monster dolls poking out of their stockings.  Once they pulled them out they started digging to see what was in them.  While we didn't go overboard by any means, the boys thought it was great.  Gabe kept saying, 'there's a lot of stuff in here!'  We included some little trucks, a roll of sweet tarts (the only candy), train whistles, and some other small items.  By far the biggest hit of the stocking was the four little notebooks in each with their names on them.  They immediately got them out and started wanting to look for clues and draw in them. 

Santa also brought them each a Mr Potato head and a tracing workbook.  They opened the one present each that was under the tree from Santa and the presents from Patti, Diane, and Sarah.  Reece got a wagon with blocks and the boys got a chopstick game that is great for practicing pincher grasp and patience! There were books, balls, and other fun odds and ends.

 After a morning as a happy little family - and really - there was no fighting and everyone was pleasant, we had some breakfast together and Doug's parent's arrived.

They went a little overboard - which we didn't see coming, so it was mayhem for a while.  It was too much at once and a few hissy fits tried to bubble up to the surface.  Once the boys opened one present they liked they really had no interest in opening any more.    They got balance bikes, which they were very excited about it.  We ended up having to put them together and go outside right then and there.  They also got some books and a train.  Reece got this little orange kitty that they all found funny.

Christmas Afternoon:

After Reece's nap it was off to the Blacklock's for brunch - or lunch for us since Reece had to nap first.  The boys were really good the whole time we were there.  They didn't get into things and there were no fights.  They even left the Christmas tree alone.  I don't think we could have been happier with how well behaved they were.  The only mischief was that Gabe found a plate of cookies and promptly ate almost the whole thing on the sly.

After a few hours Reece had had enough so we packed them all up and headed home.  It was a really big day and Grayson almost fell asleep in his dinner.  Given the craziness of the day, I would call it a pretty successful outcome.