Christmas 2011

Christmas Eve

We had a fantastic Christmas spent with family and friends starting with Christmas Eve.  We invited family and friends over to dinner and presents for the kids.  Mommy spent that day cleaning the house and cooking for 27 people.  The planning and grocery shopping the day before paid off because dinner was served on time (but of course!) at 7pm.  Those in attendance were:

Mimi, Pappy, and Grandma F
The Harrises - Paul, Lisa, Timmy and Leah
Dustin
The Tirados #1 - Tom, Anita, Timmy and Christina
The Tirados #2 - Matt, Nicole, Kyana, Madison and Jessia
The Jureks - Todd, Kristen, Ethan, Saige and Linden
Erique Willams
Ryan and baby Aka Terry
Mommy and Daddy

At the dinner table in the kitchen, I could hear Collin leading the others in singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Up on the House Top.  While eating dinner, everyone opened the traditional Christmas Crackers and read the jokes to each other while wearing the paper crown included in the tube.  After dinner, the kids opened one gift each.  They had a great time playing with their gift and then sharing with each other.  The babies played with the wrapping or the cardboard box more than the gift.  Nothing changes, right?

After most of the friends left, we opened gifts with the Harrises and family.  Collin got the Ambulance, Fire Truck and Police car he asked Santa for.  Aunt Lisa most be reading this blog.  hahaha

Collin helping Leah unwrap her gift

Collin helping Leah some more with her gifts.  He actually was being helpful and not just wanting to open her presents.

Cousins Leah and Timmy

Mimi with her grand kids...including Dustin in the chair behind her

The Harrises, Grandma F, Mimi and Ryan (Aka is in his lap)

The sisters - Lisa and Laura

Collin's favorite present of the night besides the cars - soft "covers"

Christmas Day

Collin did not wake us up this morning until after 8:15am. Maybe this will be our last morning to sleep in on Christmas Day so we did enjoy it. When he was waking us up, we asked what this morning was. He responded, "Is it Friday?" He obviously did not remember that is was Christmas morning and Santa came last night. We reminded him of what this morning was and he started to run out of his room to check under the tree. He did wait when we told him to.

Santa brought a pirate ship with pirates

A boy cannot get enough GI Joe guys.....with lots of small parts and guns

ANOTHER soft blanket.  He is set now....and maybe I can get mine back out of his clutches

He should have plenty of colors to choose from now

Besides what you see in the pictures above, he opened:

Matchbox cars
Thomas the train rail cars
Spider Man and other action heroes
Camera - more on that favorite present later
Marshmallow "shooter" guns - Santa brought the wrong size marshmallows but Collin still enjoyed practicing all morning
Sea Monkeys - he cannot wait for these to grow.  He asked all day if they were ready yet.

Next, we moved to the living room to dump out the stockings that were stuffed with other goodies.  Santa left Collin:

Pez and candy
Straw glasses
Plastic insects
Hex bug
Whoopie cushion
Candy - no oranges in this stocking!
Mini dinosaurs
Soap foam for the bath

Checking out the Pez dispenser

Trying the straw glasses

His favorite out of the stocking stuffers...at least for the morning.....the Whoopie Cushion

After opening the presents, we went to the Jureks for brunch and for the kids to play.  Todd made homemade chocolate chip waffles (OMG!!!) and Kristen made eggs and bacon.  The kids played with the new toys and watch The Little Mermaid...twice while the adults played Mexican Dominoes and Quirkle.  We were there over four hours and loved every minute of it.

We got tired and left to head home and take what ended up being a 4 hour nap.  That felt great!!!  When we got up, Collin opened up the rest of his gifts from us and other friends.  In this batch of presents, he got:

Better shovels for his sand pit and cars he could keep out there
Race track and magnetic cars from Shelley and Justin Zaiser
Books from Grandma H
Tinker Toys - I know I will have fun with these
Airplane calendar

Tube of cars

More action figures.  This is Spider Man that has wings.

Book from his teachers

Even after a four hour nap this afternoon, Collin was still in bed by before 9:30pm.  We read his new books from Grandma H.  He made sure before he crawled up to his bed that he had both of his new soft covers.  He told me that he had a good idea and then showed me how he wanted to sleep between the two soft covers....in his flannel PJs.  They boy is going to be hot but he is going to be happy that he is sleepy in softness.....probably dreaming about all of his new toys and how much fun he had today.

We are so blessed to have our family and friends around us.  What a wonderful Christmas.