Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year.  Christmas Eve included going to Mass and over to Papa and Grandma's for munchies and presents.

 

Hannah was so excited to be there!

The elf came back again this year and hid some more little presents for the kids.  After the hunt for all the trinkets, Papa read Twas the Night Before Christmas to the kids.

 

Then on to present opening!  The twins were so excited to finally be able to open presents!  They kept us all on track so it would get to be their turns again.

After opening our presents, the kids got their baths and pjs on and we headed home to set out cookies and milk for Santa and nine carrots for his reindeer.

 

The next morning, Ava woke me up at 6:45 to see if Santa had been to our house during the night.

When everyone else finally woke up, we opened the presents from Mom & Dad and that Grammy and Grampy had sent.

 

Carter got the Shellraiser truck to go with all his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!  (finally a collection of boy toys we've found that he'll actually play with!  With 3 sisters, the poor boy spends most of his time playing Barbies or dolls if he wants someone to play with.  Now the Turtles will rescue Barbies!)

Ava got her American Girl doll, Julie.  Ok, in all honesty, she was given this gift at the beginning of December.  Going to the American Girl store and picking out your doll is such a fun experience that I felt she needed to do it too since Ellie did when she got Kit for her 7th birthday.  So we went one afternoon and picked out Julie, whom Ava had already decided she was getting (I think because of the blonde hair and brown eyes!).  I caved and left her play with Julie and we wrapped her up Christmas morning while everyone was still sleeping so she could open her up with all the rest of her presents.  One month in to owning Julie and I know it was the perfect gift for Ava.  She takes Julie everywhere with her and plays with her constantly.

Grammy Sara and Grampy Tim sent each kid a nutcracker.  Grammy sends us at least one nutcracker almost every year.  Mommy thinks she better cut it back to one nutcracker for the whole family next year or our house will be overrun with nutcrackers in just a few years!

 

Hannah got a potty chair for her big Christmas gift.  She loves to sit on it and practice wiping.  Now we just need some time to work on the concept!  I'd love to have her trained by spring so we only have 2 in diapers for a short time.