Merry Christmas-Parts 2 & 3

I could have named this post, "Seriously, who needs this much stuff?"...because the kids now have more than they know what to do with! But the kids had a wonderful Christmas, and that's all that really matters!

We spent Christmas Eve at my mom's, sledding and stuffing ourselves with appetizers. It was a wonder that we didn't lose one of the kids under the massive piles of presents she had stacked around her Christmas tree! We started the day with the stockings, which gave us a 4 minute break from Trevor asking if it was time to open presents yet. Instead of giving in to his pleas, we got everyone bundled up and headed outside for some sledding. Abby slid down the hill about a dozen times on her butt and Uncle Justin became the bad guy and was pelted with snowballs. No worries, though, he can hold his own.

Then we headed inside and finally! the kids got to open their gifts. Let me explain something about opening gifts at my mom's. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to it! We pass out all of the presents to each person....the kids each had a pile taller than themselves. Then, all hell breaks loose....everyone just tears into it! It is complete chaos and the kids love love love it! I loved it as a kid too...who wouldn't? It is so much fun! No waiting. No having to watch your brother open his presents. Just tear into your own larger than you are pile. What fun!

It was so much fun that on Christmas morning, Jackson was a little disappointed with the small pile of presents from Matt and me on Christmas morning! Luckily, Santa came through for him!

The kids woke up at about 7am and we crept downstairs as Matt videotaped the kids' reactions. Abby loved her kitchen and Barbie stuff and Jackson exclaimed "I didn't even know they could make this!" about his Polar Express train. We made homemade donuts and ripped open the presents in our stockings and under the tree. The kids didn't know what to play with first...or next. We played Barbie, watched the Polar Express go round and round, cooked in Abby's new kitchen and dueled with Jackson's new swords. Abby named her new groovy girls dolls Sofia and Lila after her friends and Jackson learned about a whole new family of superheroes and bad guys. It was a perfect Christmas!

We will likely be singing Santa songs to Abby for months to come and Jackson will probably want to play with his Polar Express every day until next Christmas. Christmas just never seems to end at our house! Tonight at bedtime Jackson said,"Now, there are a lot of days until Christmas, right?" Right...363 to be exact...and we are counting down!