Christmas #2: At Home

Since we're traveling this year and Christmas falls on a Sunday, we pushed everything forward a day and celebrated Christmas Eve last night. We started some new traditions and had a great time just our little family. This was probably the quietest night we've had in awhile.

Leah kept putting her blanket on her head and saying she was Mary. Then she wanted Andrew to be Joseph. So we wrapped up her doll to be baby Jesus. This was so precious! We also did a little puppet show out of some Nativity stick puppets I made. While Brett read from Luke 2, Leah and I went behind the couch and held up the puppets. Andrew got to watch and he loved it. I'm so excited to see both of them start to understand the Christmas story this year. Andrew will point at a Nativity Scene and say "Jesus!" when he sees it. Leah can tell a lot of what happened in the Biblical account and last night when we asked her what's the true meaning of Christmas, she said "Jesus' birthday." We were so touched.

We started the tradition last year of the book What God Wants for Christmas. We open one box each day 7 days before Christmas. Each holds a character from the Nativity account. We put each figure into our empty manger scene on the mantel as we open them. Leah loved opening the boxes and looked forward to it each night like they were presents. Andrew liked opening and closing the boxes and he got to put them up on the mantel with Daddy's help.

Today was our Christmas Day. We had such a good time! Leah and Andrew love their gifts. I love the wonder in their faces in every picture. Leah really got Santa this year, too, and I think is convinced that tomorrow when we get on a plane we're going to the North Pole. She kept talking about how he's coming down the chimney and he's going to bring her presents, and she was in awe when she saw that he'd eaten the cookies and milk she left for him last night. Every time she opened a gift she would yell out what it was: "Look, Daddy! A Princess coloring book!" She would get so excited with every gift. She even got excited to see what other people got.



Andrew was a little more laid back about his gift opening.

But he really did like his gifts. Well, at least the ones he got to play with before his sister got a hold of them.

They had the chocolate in their stocking eaten before I could even blink.

Andrew's favorite may have been his toothbrush. He really does love to brush his teeth. He kept trying to eat the brush in the package, saying "teeth!"

Andrew's stash: He got Leapfrog My Pal Scout (Leah has the girl version), a Melissa & Doug Take Along Tool Kit (which is great since he loves the set he got from grandma & Grandpa-- esp. the hammer), a backpack, jammies, a toy gun, and a remote control car. He got a toy drum from Brett's brother, but Leah claimed that as her own.

Leah's haul: Her big gifts were a VTech Write & Learn computer (which I probably like more than she because she can trace the ABC's), a mini Princess coloring book, the movie Tangled, a backpack, a set of play food (to go with the kitchen set she got from Grandma & Grandpa), Princess paper dolls (magnetic), and some puzzles.

I got Brett Toy Story 1 & 2 on DVD, tickets to see the Rembrant Exhibition at the Museum of Art and some foot lotion. He got me a blender and toaster (I know, they're really for the family, but I really did want them), plus some body washes & candles.

We've spent the rest of the day playing with new toys, relaxing, and getting ready for our trip. Everyone's been in a great mood, but all over the place with toys! I will be glad when we can settle back into our normal routine and actually enjoy all we got!