Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas!

Julia woke me up around 7am and asked if Santa had come.  I told her that we should check.  She walked out to the stairs and called out "Wow Mom!  Dere are a yacht of presents under the tree!  Dere are so many!  Santa was here!"

We went back to the bedroom to read some books and look at the American Girl doll catalog  (or as she calls it 'the magazine').  Riley came in a bit later and was ready to see if it was ok for them to go downstairs.  We all got up and went downstairs.

The girls opened their stockings first.  Riley had found a few really small stockings at school in my classroom.  I had purchased them for an activity in music but never used them so I told her she could have them.  She gave a few away and then wrote her name on a few and Julia's name on a few.  They put those on top of their large stocking so Santa would know whose stocking was whose.

Riley was excited to see new earrings.  "Santa must have known I really needed new earrings!"

Julia was happy to see nail polish and new acrylic paints.  "I yove yehyow!!"

We had them eat breakfast before diving into the presents that were under the tree.  Riley's hands always get shaky from low blood sugar in the morning and Julia had been up a while before we opened them so they were hungry anyway.  After they ate, Julia checked to see if Santa had left his milk.  She announced that it was all gone and that he had it.  She also gasped and was happy to see he had enjoyed the cookies too!  There were only crumbs left - to which she helped herself.

The girls took turns opening gifts one at a time.  Riley opened a present first.  She made mention at one point "Wow - these elves really know how to wrap presents good!"

Julia shook a box and said "I tink it's a puzzle!"  And it was.  She got several this year.

One of Riley's favorite gifts was a ukelele that she can not only decorate and paint, but that plays (sort of).  She also loved her stencil set, minion shirt, books and Goldie Blox kits.

Julia loved her puzzles, her minion shirt, Frozen playset of people and the sled from Karen, Jeremy's boss and new doll outfits.  She was incredibly thrilled about the two doll outfits.  Just said "wow!"  and couldn't wait to play with them.

The girls finished unwrapping their gifts and then noticed there were a few more presents under the back of the tree.  We told them to open those together.  They opened the first one and each one had an iPad case.  Riley read what it was and both girls kept saying "What is this?"  Riley said it looked like it's for an iPad.  To which we egged them on with "That's interesting!  Why would you have that?"

They opened the next and last present which was a super cool grey messenger bag made especially for iPads.  We asked what that was for?  Riley gave a really long explanation as to how it must be for carrying things.  Julia thought it was to carry her babies.

Jeremy got out his new iPad and talked to Riley about how he had a new one and now there was his old one that he didn't need anymore.  He wondered if it would fit in her new case and if she would like to have it.  She was wide-eyed and grinned from ear to ear.

Then he brought out another iPad for Julia that we had purchased from his boss who had also just gotten a new iPad.  He put it in Julia's new pink case.  Both girls could hardly believe it.  Then Jeremy showed them how to put them in the bags and explained a little bit to them.  The last two nights Jeremy has taken time to get apps and books on their iPads so that they could play on them immediately.

The girls played some on the iPads.  Then played Frozen dolls, playdoh, AG dolls, stencils, ukelele things, etc.  

Riley said "Thank you" for the iPads countless times.  She told my parents she said it a lot and I wouldn't doubt if she said it almost 25-plus times.

What a complete blessing to give to our kids.   As I put Riley to bed tonight, she asked what we were doing tomorrow.  I shared that there were two things I needed to do, but that the day was basically whatever we wanted to make of it.  I asked her what she wanted to do and she gave many ideas.  I told her that we can do whatever works and that we'd definitely make time for several of her ideas.  Her first idea was that she really wants to paint and decorate her ukelele and learn how to play "We wish you a Merry Christmas" on it.

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