What a happy and busy day Christmas was! The kids were told not to get up until 6:30am, but we first started hearing them at 4:00am. That time, we sent Maddie and Jon back to bed. I got up at 4:30 because I hadn't gotten back to sleep, and Will was trying to sneak down -- we scared each other. I got the casserole out of the fridge and went back to bed. At 5:15am, I went up to tell Ben and Jon to get back in their beds and quit playing in Maddie's room. Around 6:15, I finally fell asleep... but not for long.
Randy and Shelley arrived around 8:00, just as the casserole and monkey bread were coming out of the oven. We enjoyed breakfast, clean up the kitchen, then started opening gifts. In our home, we MIGHT be a bit TOO structured, but it works for us. With very few exceptions (usually only when we know the kids are opening the same thing) we open gifts one person opening one gift at a time. When the torn paper is put in the trash, we move to the next person and gift. Usually Allen passes gifts out while I snap photos and keep the list of who gets what from whom. Very. Orderly. :)
With all that order, we were opening gifts all morning.
As we've done before, the six of us drew names for gifting.Will gave Ben a Calvin and Hobbes book and an "adopt-an-alien" kit; and Ben gave Will a laser maze game. Will picked a great book for Ben -- once he began reading, he didn't stop!
Maddie gave Allen a hatchet.
Allen gave Jon a take-apart puzzle and a book of word searches and other games.
Jon gave me a mixed-media art kit with some tablets.
I gave Maddie a tent and camp set for her dolls.
