Merry Christmas!!

Surprisingly, Santa did some to our house! (Santa was able to find a good deal on a gymnastics bar, 2 days before Christmas!) Steve and I have kind of combined our childhood Santa traditions for our home. In his, Santa left one big unwrapped gift....in mine, Santa wrapped all gifts. So we do both.  I think it is more fun for them to open gifts then to just have all Santa gifts unwrapped under the tree like some family Santa's do. Like Steve's family growing up, Santa gave one big gift and all others were from the parents....a lot of people do this b/c they want 'credit' for buying the gifts. I get it! I just figured we have a limited number of years to embrace Santa, so we might as well enjoy it. I'll take credit for it later down the road when they understand more about money and how much Christmas can cost for Santa and parents! :)

She plays 'police' with the boys at school, so she loved this gift!

They both got ipads.

and new headphones.

The ONE thing she has been asking for all along....a poop emoji pillow!!!

American Girl (or the Target version) stuff is taking over our house!

 Poop emoji pillows, ipads and headphones for both. Piper also got a poop emoji blanket!

After we did all our Santa fun, had breakfast, cleaned up and got ready, we headed to my parents house for my family's Christmas.

We almost lost Jordan in the wrapping paper! :)

Presley got a volleyball and badminton set and Piper got a snow cone machine from my parents! Very fun gifts that we will enjoy in 5-6 months when it isn't 0 degrees outside!
The adults do a white elephant gift exchange also, Jerry got a container full of koozies, a pair of socks and some Hershey's kisses!

Holly got some Poopouri and 'I-might-have-touched-my-genitals hand sanitizer! :)

Daddy got a cutting board that Steve made (and etched/burned the #8 into)

Then we played the Saran Wrap game, a ball filled with full little stuff and wrapped and wrapped with Saran Wrap. It is really fun for kids and adults. We use oven mitts for the adults to make it a little harder and way more funny!

Cousins!

We got home from my parents house, way too late again and the monkey's went directly to the bar.....

......then to bed!

A great, wonderful, fun, exhausting Christmas!

Christmas Eve

We woke up Sunday to snow! The girls were excited to go out in it....for about 20 minutes! Presley doesn't have snow boots that fit and I didn't put snow pants on them b/c I didn't figure they would be actually IN the snow, I was wrong. They got cold and wet and came back inside.

We headed to my parents about noon to do decorate cookies!

Some are more creative than others!

We were there for a couple hours and then came home to get some stuff done for Christmas. I had two desserts to make, so each one helped me with one of them. This was a good way to reduce the amount of fighting and bickering they do with each other and help me keep my sanity also. Presley helped Piper write a list for Santa (nice timing huh?) and we tried to get organized and picked up before the chaos of Christmas morning.

We usually have them open their presents from us and from each other on Christmas Eve and leave Christmas morning for Santa gifts.....but not before we got pictures in front of the tree!

 

 

Piper got Presley an 'American Girl' boy doll, she was very excited!

Presley got Piper some legos and a color/sticker book.

We always get them new jammies, a movie or two (to watch that night) and this is the 2nd year we have bought them Adventureland season passes as part of their gift also.

We decided to try some chocolate fondue this year. They girls LOVED it and scarfed down the bananas and strawberries first. It was something different to do that I think we all enjoyed.

 

 Piper wanted to try bacon in the chocolate, so we did!

 

Then their favorite part of Christmas Eve......bubble bath in our Jacuzzi tub! They only get to do this about twice a year and they have so much fun!

Then they put on their new jammies......with the matching doll jammies! :)

And we headed to the basement to cuddle up and watch BFG before bedtime and before Santa came!