Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas!  After my last post on Christmas Eve, the kids set out treats for Santa (one cookie from each kid, as well as milk and water - because they couldn't agree on which mug to use!) and then went right to bed. After they were in bed, I remembered to add the letter and pictures Bailey had drawn for Santa in the past few weeks.

I should mention that I literally had to clear a path so there was a place for Santa's milk and cookies (and all the presents)! 

We waited a bit before starting our parental Christmas Eve duties, thinking it was likely that they would have trouble falling asleep.  As it turned out, they all fell right to sleep, but Bailey woke up a while later with a night terror.  On a related note, I asked the pediatrician about her night terrors and he assured me that she will simply outgrow them. Fortunately, they are much more traumatic for Bob and I to witness than for Bailey to experience, because she never remembers them (due to the sleep cycle in which they occur).  

Once she was calm and back to sleep, we set to work bringing all the presents out of hiding and setting everything up. We actually didn't have any assembly to do this Christmas Eve (plenty to come Christmas day, however), so that was nice.

Surprisingly, the kids slept in a bit on Christmas morning.  I guess they were due to catch up, after sleeping less while we were out of town.  Bob and I were certainly not complaining!  Once they were up, it was tricky to keep them all upstairs until everyone was done with their morning "chores" (going potty and brushing their teeth). Bailey and Bentley sat anxiously at the top of the stairs, while Brooks kept chirping at them to NOT go downstairs without him. Ha ha!  When they were all ready, they took off down the stairs to find this... 

Santa brought them a "new" (I hear Santa likes a good deal and sometimes shops resale!), bigger Lego table!  It also came with lots (more) Mega Bloks and the table top even turns over to serve as a road. Santa is the best!

Of course, we delayed breakfast and went straight to the presents.  They took turns, starting with their stockings (below). I love their facial expressions!

 

That umbrella Brooks got in his stocking? I seriously think that's his favorite gift of all. He has carried it around and played with it non-stop! 

Here they are with the Hershey Kiss candy canes that our elf, Jack, left them on the tree this morning (and Brooks with his umbrella!):

Next up: Presents, and again I tried to make them go one-at-a-time so at least we could see their reactions, etc. 

I'd say everything was a big hit, which makes the months of (me) stressing out about gift ideas and deals well worth it.  I work really hard to come up with ideas that I think they would actually like and use, as opposed to just buying something for the sake of having something.  They know the reason we celebrate Christmas, and that it has nothing to do with presents, but seeing their big smiles and listening to shrieks of surprise and delight are a nice bonus.

Once all the gifts were unwrapped, it was Bob's turn to work - opening boxes, assembling products, inserting batteries, etc.  Here they were "helping" him put Bailey's Barbie house together:

Her first Barbies!

We indulged in our traditional Christmas breakfast - cinnamon rolls - in the midst of all the assembling and playing.  It was really nice to be home for the day, knowing that we could play leisurely.  And boy did they play!  I think they opened just about everything they received, with only a few things being spared to try another day.  It was fun to watch them all play with everything.  For example, we gave Brooks this VTech Activity Desk, but Bailey, Bentley and Bowen all played with it too.  Bowen used it mostly as a walking toy, but whatever.

He was also really enamored with Sis's new Barbie house and dolls.  He literally "talked" to the doll when he held her (soooo cute!), and he crawled through the big double-doors on the house!

After a late lunch, we put Brooks and Bowen down for naps because . . . Grandma and Papa Kerste, and Aunt Becky were all coming over for Christmas dinner with us!  Not only did they come over for dinner with us, but they brought and made dinner for us!  We are blessed beyond measure. 

We opened presents before dinner. There were lots of screams (of delight, for a change)!

And, when it was time to eat, the kids were thrilled to sit at a separate "kids table"! 

We had a wonderful dinner and lots of delicious dessert, too.  After we were stuffed, there was lots of playing and snuggles.  

This is a classic Brooks expression!

Brooks decorated Papa

So fancy! (I love this picture)

That hair!

I also tried for what has become my annual picture of my parents with all the kids:

This time it was Bentley that wasn't interested in cooperating (followed shortly after by Bowen)! It's never easy, that's for sure. 

2013-2016

Christmas 2016 is now in the books. For me, it's a welcome relief and a sad transition. I look forward to getting the house back to some semblance of "normal", but there's always a bit of letdown when the "magic" of the holiday (atmosphere) is no longer around.  For now, though, we'll enjoy having Bailey home for another week of Winter Break!