Christmas, take two!
Monday morning, December 26th was my side of the family's Christmas celebration. We headed over to my parents' house after the kids woke up. They hadn't been sleeping well all weekend - naps and nighttime sleep have been disturbed nearly every day. Plus Ellie and Maddie have head colds (just congestion), so Maddie wakes up with a face covered in sticky snot and Ellie cries out in her sleep and even shouted something in a scary mean voice one night, and when I checked on her she was sound asleep. Very odd.
But everyone was happy and well rested (enough!) and it was a beautiful morning - not dreary at all, and even a little warm.
When we got there, we started with brunch. My mom had (again!) made a delicious meal of egg and sausage strata, fruit, monkey bread, juice and coffee for us all. I ate enough for 2 adults, and I am glad that I did. It was that good. Then we opened presents!
This gift from Aunt Kelsey was a show-stopper. A cute black hat with sequins, a hot pink purse with a big flower on it, and real makeup inside (Maybelline!). She received makeup brushes, nail files, an eyeshadow palette, lip gloss and bright pink blush.
Here is Ellie, the 'before' picture... all fresh-faced, oohh-ing and aahh-ing over her new makeup.
I just went ahead and opened it all up and let her get to it. Why be the fun-squelching mom when you can be the mom who lets her 2 year old play in makeup at Christmas?
It was absolutely adorable and hysterical. She was VERY serious about the application process.
Aunt Kels got down next to her with a mirror so that Ellie could see what she was doing and to give her a little guidance.
I had to wrestle it all away from her after a while. It was getting on the girls' new anywhere chairs and on Ellie's white dress. And the eyeshadow sponge-tip was being used as a shovel when she dug out the powder.
Maddie being eaten and loving it, typical.
Robbie got his own tool bench, and it was a huge hit. Ellie couldn't resist getting in on the fun. We were having flashbacks to the year Collin got goggles and tools as a two or three year old.
The plastic drill was battery powered, and Ellie found much that needed fixing.
Kelsey and Collin read Robbie a Cars book.
My mom put Pez dispensers and those candy Dots that come on long strips of white paper in the kids' stockings, and Robbie kept sneaking behind the couch with his to secretly eat them after I had made a no-more-sugar-consumption rule.
Guilty and cute
More Dot eating.
Uncle Collin got Robbie a 10 disc DVD set of Train videos. Like, something an adult would watch. HE LOVES IT. It's the best gift for him, in a very funny way.
The kids' aunts and uncles in New Jersey sent their gifts in the mail and I brought them to be opened during this celebration. Robbie received a Manning jersey, Cars car, Peter Pan and Cars 2 movies - all big hits!
Ellie got this headband and an awesome skirt, and a Tinkerbell doll that she has yet to put down.
She was trying to blow a kiss to everyone in NJ for her presents here...
Maddie received adorable clothes from NJ, some of which I had to immediately put on her. CUTE! (Both of her aunties out there have fabulous taste.)
I can't believe I have 2 girls. Sisters. Let the fun begin.
It was a wonderful day, and we probably stayed a little too long but when you're having fun... well, 2pm rolled around and the kids started to lay on the floor, randomly burst into tears, etc. So my sister fed them a quick lunch in the kitchen while we rounded up our toys and belongings and we headed home. Ellie and Maddie took quick naps, and Robbie did not.
We started in on operation Clean Up Christmas and get back to packing for the move right away. The tree and all of our Christmas decorations were put in boxes by dinnertime. My parents, brother and sister came over to haul away 2 pieces of living room furniture that we won't be taking with us to the new house, and needed to get rid of before showing this one. Then I loaded the van floor to ceiling with more boxes and rubbermaid containers.
We needed to clean the house up because I had two appointments the next day here at the house. So I stayed up until about 11pm maybe, getting the house into reasonable shape.
It was a lot to pack into one day, but it was so much fun and the day ended very productively!
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