whobody did not get coal?

warning: I am putting almost THIRTY pictures on this post.

 

I picked my favorites from Christmas morning....and I guess I had a lot of favorites.

 

We really had a great Christmas morning. As usual, Santa was extremely generous and even though the kids aren't perfect, he gave them lots of gifts! FIVE to be exact.  FIVE each...so that made for 20 gifts under the tree....Lucky kids.

 

The kids all actually slept in until after 7...Nash slept til almost 8.

But, I had warned them the night before that we would not be opening presents until at least 8:00....because Cruz is a sleeper....and usually sleeps until at least 8.  I was not willing to open presents without him. 

 

 So, at 7, the older 2 kids had breakfast and then waited for Nash and Cruz to wake up.  When Nash woke up, they were all able to open their stockings.  The kids each had a few little gifts in their stockings...play doh, nerfs, Keaton-watch, Lola-aqua doodle stuff, Nash-Lightning McQueen stuff, and then these bike horns. 

 Let me tell you, these bike horns may quite possibly be the MOST ANNOYING sound ever.

Smart Santa, real smart.

 

 

 

 

They also each got one of these light up spinny things in their stockings....

 And then, Keaton, Lola and Nash each got one of these....which we were all very confused with.  Keaton was sure it was some sort of cartridge to a video game....

 it turned out to be a memory card for their new digital camera! who knew?

 Cruz's stocking was filled with binkies and his toy hammer.....

 Oh my goodness...he is just SO cute (and I love his Christmas jammies).

 I made the kids get together for a picture before we began opening...

 Then I said...okay...now we can open our presents....and INSTANTLY Nash

ripped this one open. 

Let it be known....in our house we always go youngest to oldest....and take turns and open one present at a time.  Nash must have forgotten that...he was SO excited!  (and he loved his really really big dinosaur!)

 Cruz was just happy to stand on his presents...

open, shmopen...these are great climbing toys!

 

The 3 older kids EACH got their own 'real' digital camera. 

This is something that they have all wanted for a long time.

K&L both have some kid fisher price cameras...but they really don't take good pictures at all (not even printable)....and they really wanted to be able to take videos.  I am very glad that Santa brought them cameras...now, hopefully, they won't be messing with MINE all of the time!  Bonus...I didn't realize this until the day after Christmas, but these cameras are also able to take pictures 'underwater'! YIKES.

 Nash got a blue camera, Lola's is pink, and Keaton's is white!

 

Nash helped Cruz with his presents, whether he needed it or not!

 

I thought this was funny...Keaton & Lola took pictures of the

little boys opening their presents!

 

 

 Below is a picture of Keaton opening a Cars video game...it is a steering wheel with a little screen and you drive the car in a race against Francesco! 

In this picture he is doing the "YES!" elbow.  He was very excited!

 This is his first 'video game'. (Our kids are pretty deprived. :)

 

 

 Cruz, well he was just excited about everything!

 

 This is Nash's new remote control car.

 Lola got these "friends" legos...she really wanted this horse stable set...and has diligently been working hard on it since Christmas. 

 She is surprisingly good at following the directions!

 

 

 Lola's favorite gift was a MICROPHONE that can actually take a video of you and play it on your tv.  She has pretty much been singing and talking into it non stop since Christmas. Santa must have thought this would be a great way for her to practice her

rock star skills.

 

 

Santa also got the kids one present to share...the game

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS.

 

Seriously...Nash was PUMPED he has been talking about this

game for the last couple of months!

 

 

Both Keaton and Lola had made each of us pictures for Christmas....

below is the picture that Lola made for Jason:

 

 

It says "the joy of Christmas brings people together."  and she explained that it is a picture of

Mommy & Daddy kissing!

Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Finally, the first game of Hungry Hungry Hippos....

 

We really had an excellent Christmas. The kids were extremely

impressed with

and

grateful for

their gifts....which seemed a lot different than other years.

 

In the past, they would just open their presents...and then kind of have the attitude of

"what else do i get?"

(which seriously made us feel sick!)

....SO...either Santa is giving fewer yet better presents

OR my kids are just learning how to be better gift receivers...

and not quite so selfish and ungrateful. 

 

I hope it is that the kids have changed... as I work hard to try to help our kids to be

'good' people

(so much more than just behavior). 

 

Sometimes I think it would be so much easier if Santa didn't spoil these kids quite so much...or at all...but then I remember that THIS MAGICAL TIME in their childhood is so short and fleeting that sometimes I need to just quit thinking so much and enjoy it.

 

 

Either way, it made for a very enjoyable Christmas day! 

After we opened gifts, Jason's brother Thom came over for lunch (lasagna) and to try out all of the kids new gifts!  Then the rest of the day was spent with just the 6 of us...

just hanging out!  It was perfect.

 

We are heading to Milwaukee tomorrow to have Christmas with Steve & Lisa and

Steve & Tessa & Cora.....the kids are so excited to see them all...

and I think they are excited to stay in a hotel too!