Christmas Day-2019

 Christmas at Home:

William was the first one awake, and lucky for us he always comes into our bedroom first thing to ask for breakfast. It was so early you can see from pictures that the sun still isn't up yet. So we kept him in our room while we woke the girls up. After that we all headed into the living room to see what we got for Christmas. 

We had the kids check out the stockings and what Santa brought for them. (He brought the unwrapped gifts).

So one year William went and got a grocery sack to carry all his stuff in so we just started providing bags for the kids to "keep" their Christmas stuff in so it doesn't get lost or mixed up during that day.

William just plowed through everything. Hardly looking at it right now. (Don't worry, he will explore each individual piece in the privacy of his own room later. I promise. It's really funny to watch, how he just wants to get everything that is his and then take it to his room to "explore" it.) So he is already opening Santa's gifts for him. Which were a bunch of train tracks.

Our dear Lizzy loves to draw! So Santa brought her an easel that she can carry around and move and draw on.

below: See he is stuffing everything into the bag. Even all the train tracks which were all in boxes. His bag was so heavy! That I was afraid it would rip, so I made him take all the tracks back out and put back in their boxes.

below: Sydney is my child that just savors everything. And I think that has to do with her age, but also her personality a little bit. So she is still going through her stocking stuff while the other two are done.

below: Sydney got a new unicorn necklace in her stocking, so she is getting it put on.

Here is Lizzy's necklace from her stocking. She loves elephants.

below: he has now waited enough time that he wants to open more presents. The lego set is from Santa to the family.

And the dogs got a little something too.

Sydney is really into the science stuff. So Santa brought her this growing crystals kit. She was super excited. But the kids are also into collecting rocks, so she got a National Geographic rock collection set which has ALL KINDS of different "rocks" in it.

To control the Chaos I was giving each kid one gift at a time to open. This first box is a box of clothes. I give each kid a box of clothes for Christmas. That way they aren't opening each clothing item individually and moves things along to the more exciting stuff.

below: this kid is funny when it comes to laundry. If it is folded then he will immediately put it away. So he took his box of clothes (and luckly Jake had me wash everything before hand, so there were not tags) and put it all away. Right then and there.

these next gifts are to the family from Jake and I.

We have Mario Checkers

We have "Pass the Pandas"
Which we played with the kids and is super easy and a whole lot of fun.

And Mexican Train Domino's. I like this game like 10 times more than Jake does. So I got it anyway. ;)

This next gift I ordered and didn't tell Jake til they arrived. :) Whoops. But they are cute picture mugs for each kid.
They really liked them and call them "their" cup.

Next gift: Each kid got a book.William got a book that has train tracks in it and a little pull back train that will "drive" the tracks. Lizzy got an anatomy book called "The Big Book of The Body" and Sydney got a book of Earth facts. All the books came from Usborne Books. 
William LOVED his book. And Lizzy was super excited because her book had this huge fold out page with a human skeleton on it. Sydney wasn't as excited for her book, but I thought it would be interesting for her to read as she got older and learned more about the world. 

Sydney also got a second book Jake picked out. It was about Pokemon.

He was mad that Jake was putting the book away so we could open more gifts.

Next gifts: Family gifts. William opened up a box of card games. And each girl opened up a new game for the Nintendo Switch console.

This part of gift opening went a little different. We gave each of the kids the rest of "their" gifts and then had each kid open up all their gifts before the next kid could go. I would do it differently if I could do it again. Sydney was the last kid to open up any of her gifts and she was bored and anxious and it was a little unfair. It was meant that William and Lizzy were off playing with their stuff while she was opening up her gifts.

William got a set of cows, a red train (that could drive itself, but he kept doing it so he ruined the gears), a green tractor, a monster truck, and a big yellow Tonka digger.  And of course William loved that. He wanted to take it every where the first couple of days.

Lizzy got a American Girl doll and a stroller and crib combo for her doll, an electronic portable piano. Lizzy loves the piano. The doll crib thing fell apart within a week.

Sydney got new headphones, a box of Christmas squishies, a sewing kit, an American Girl Doll, and an American Girl Doll Desk. She was super excited for all of it.

This is all the boxes from the kids' presents. So much recycling.

Jake got a dashboard suction thing for a phone for the car, and a game, and a mini game console thing, 2 shirts, and a work apron, a new belt and new pants, a picture frame with photos of the kids, new shoes, a drone, and a new gaming monitor.

Jake picked these out a couple months beforehand and we saved them for Christmas.

I got new lens bags, little pumpkin earrings, a dildo, bras, and a new book.

We went to Victoria Secret cause I needed new bras, and Jake just kept them and gave them too me for Christmas.

Sydney pulled our her guitar so that she and Lizzy could play their instruments together.

Christmas at Grandma Harvey's house:

I had an idea for the cousins this year. That we all write letters to Grandma and Grandpa and put a little cash in them.

Gave out the Calender's to my sister, and mom, and Grandma, and the extras to my Aunts.

Grandma and Grandpa Harvey's gift to Sydney.

Williams gift from Grandma and Grandpa Harvey. It's a book about underwear.

Lizzy's gift from Grandma and Grandpa Harvey.

My grandparents also gave each kid an outfit. Lizzy loved hers.

Brayden and William got this shark exploration set and let me tell you...William loved it! plays with the sharks and boats all the time, and loves them during bath time.

We probably stayed for 3 hours at Grandma and Grandpa Harvey's. From about 3 pm-6pm (Maybe later) before we headed to Grandma Arnold's house. 

Christmas at Grandma Arnold's house:

It was late enough that the kids were getting tired, the sun was all the way gone. And Jake and I wanted to head back home to relax.

Williams gift from Grandma Arnold was this spider man drawing thing and that little fire truck.

Sydney's gift from Grandma Arnold was lipstick and a mirror.

Home:

This is what Lizzy got from Grandma Arnold.

William playing with his new sharks. Told you he loved them!

Overall it was a good day. Everyone was spoiled. All the kids had a lot of fun with their stuff.

We will see how long the fun lasts. My kids are good at wanting something and playing with it for a short while before they become bored with it and it ends up in the endless toy bin.