Continuing tradition, we decided to wake up Friday morning and have our Christmas at home. With Christmas falling on a Saturday this year, Greg only got Friday off. And trying to squeeze in all of the traveling and rounds of Christmas in just a day and 1/2 seemed illogical. So, we had our usual ham & cheese biscuits for dinner (thanks to the yummy ham Greg gets every year from work that has given us this tradition) and then we made a gingerbread house! Granny & Granpa’s neighbor had brought it to them from Trader Joe’s for the grandkids to make and they’d brought it up to us. It was a fun thing to do together.
“ta-da!”
We did set out cookies on the plate for Santa and got the kids in bed. Wyatt informed me that night that he wanted “a bow and arrow and trampoline from Santa” oh really?! hmmm, wish he had heard about these items sooner. I was tempted to get on the Internet and see about having a trampoline delivered on Monday.
Here’s the scene:
Dellaina: jewelry box with jewelry, Ballerina mosaic art. Wyatt: dumptruck and front end loader. Both: Cat in the Hat I Can Do That! game.
we’d sent presents on with grandparents after Dellaina’s birthday party, but still had quite a bit left under the tree!
stockings included: gloves, Sugarland CD, $5, candy and a movie for each. Wyatt got 2 Cars cars and Dellaina got some tights and a princess watch. 
Hank was concerned it might take over his spot.
We ate breakfast and let the kids play and started packing. Wyatt got a remote control car from Mr. & Mrs. Martin, so they played outside while Greg had the unfortunate task of cleaning out my car! I went for my run, then we did my hair. We finally got gone by 2 or 3. Greg stayed and took a shower and was about an hour behind us with the dogs. I told the kids we weren’t going to watch any of the new movies, because they needed to take naps! They complained, but Wyatt was soon snoring. Dellaina never went to sleep and was wiped out later (also, her tummy and head hurt her off and on – especially at meals – for a few days) We had a yummy dinner with everyone and were going to open just a few presents that night. . but ended up opening just about everything! It was fun watching the kids expertly tear open gifts. . and then going back to the tree looking for more. It was a bountiful and generous year!!
We hung around the next day, playing and even got in a new movie, Tarzan. It was nice just to have the morning to play and load up and not still be opening. It let us have time to actually put things together, like Wyatt’s race track. You shake the Buzz and Woody cars and then they race around the track. 
it was fun to watch Boss’s head moving around watching them go round and round.
and fill the Bopper bags. . .
and of coruse, play with the boxes!! Always a big hit.
Andrea, Blake & Addison ended up not having time to come by between engagements anyway, so it worked out really well that we’d done it all the night before! We headed out to the lake about 2 or 3 and again, I told them they needed to nap. Wyatt was snoring and Dellaina forced her eyes closed for a while and then popped them open and asked quietly, “can I wake up now?” must just be too much excitement.
Festivities at the lake started with a yummy meal: Salmon and a HUMONGOUS tenderloin and lots of greens, brussel sprouts, beets and corn pudding. I made some traditional Christmas cookies after the meal, so it was unusual not to have them around with everyone snacking on them beforehand, but worked out well and even had a few make it through the night before being consumed. We started with a White Elephant gift exchange where we were to bring a wrapped gift that didn’t cost us anything – something we had gotten and didn’t want or were re-gifting, etc. I knew the kids would want to play, even though we were a little leery about how they’d react to the whole concept of gift stealing and some of the gifts not being. . exciting! Wyatt went early and opened a big Nutcracker – which he loved! Then, Uncle D decided he wanted it, but Wyatt was upset, but Greg got him to give him to him, but as soon as he turned around to walk back, he busted out in tears! So, he got it back and clung to it the rest of the game! I ended up with a cute little notepad in a pretty box, with 2 chocolate covered pretzels and a money bag?! Emily got the worst, I think, with a stack full of magazines! Or perhaps the old computer parts might have been the “worst”. Doug & Morgan schemed to end up with the DePalma’s gift card dad had contributed (it had been a gift to him, so it was allowable) and will enjoy a nice meal out of it. There were several other Christmas ornaments or decorations in the mix. Morgan was smart and worked out for Dellaina to get to pick out a little (slightly hideous) woolen change purse that no one else would want, but she liked. It was fairly entertaining for what it was. Then, we passed out presents and let the real opening commence! We try to take turns, but it gets chaotic and you do miss parts, but it was a great time. It was pretty late and Samuel was melting down, so he ended up going to bed. And Garris and Mary weren’t there yet, so we weren’t opening his gifts yet either. Which just meant, we got to open a few more the next day.
Dellaina got a pretty rainbow handmade tutu from Tina, but I haven’t been able to get her in it yet for a picture. But, she did get this pretty head wreath from Mary and after much coaxing, she wore it around for a while. It will be pretty to see it all together, maybe next time she goes back to dance class next week.
Greg headed home on Sunday and we stayed over until Monday. Kathy did make the trip down on Monday (they’d planned to come on Sunday, but the snow delayed it a day) and we had yet another round! Needless to say, I’ve been attempting to contain the explosion that came home with us.
We finally made it outside for a brief stint on Monday so that mom could show the kids the new bikes she’d gotten them! It was sunny, but still very windy, so we weren’t out there long, but they were very excited! (Wyatt even talked me into bringing his home! We’ll just take it back next time we go) And we shot Wyatt’s bow & arrow around a bit as well and have deemed it an outside toy!
