Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning got off to a slow start, but by around 9:30, we were in the thick of present-opening. Caroline seemed to be feeling a little more perky than yesterday, but she still wasn't a hundred percent. She did seem to enjoy opening presents and continued to meticulously rip each piece of paper off of her gifts. She really liked her new baby and played with her all morning. Mickey got the Nerf Blaster he asked Santa for...it came with explicit instructions in a letter from Santa that he should not shoot any living creature, specifically reindeer, pets or SISTERS! Yeah, well...he didn't read the letter right away...

Mindy and Abby were extremely happy to find "Gilmore Girls" under the tree. They've been waiting for Season 4 for months, and I think they were about as happy about getting TWO seasons for Christmas as they were about the iPod and the DS! Of course, I was pretty happy about "Gilmore Girls", too! I have big plans to curl up in my pajamas and watch DVDs rest of Christmas break! What really cracked me up was the amount of fun Mindy and Abby had with Caroline's interactive kitchen! I caught them playing with it while Caroline was taking a much-needed nap.

Before long, it was time for lunch. My parents and grandparents and Jon's mom joined us for ham, hashbrown casserole and Granny's yummy green beans...better than Cracker Barrel! Then we opened gifts again. "Pop" and "Magga" found a delightful pair of interactive dolls that talk to each other. They make noise when you feed them, and we were "oohing" and "aahing" over how cute they were when, suddenly, they starting ARGUING with each other. "Don't give her the last bite! Save some for me!" My parents about died laughing! It's bad enough my KIDS argue with each other...now the dolls?! So I named them "Mindy" and "Abby", because as much as my girls love each other, they can argue over the oxygen molecules in the air.

We are usually so busy on Christmas morning that it has become a tradition to wait until Christmas night to open our stockings...sometimes we've even waited until the next day! The best part is that it stretches out the anticipation and enjoyment and gives us a little time to wind down from all the excitement. The kids howled with delight when Abby opened Baxter's present in his stocking...an "Underdog" costume! Abby really wanted one for Baxter for Halloween, but I wouldn't spring for it. That Santa really came through! Oh, and Baxter was ever so thrilled...

So Christmas has come and gone. I remember as a kid being a little sad when the day itself was over...the anticipation was gone for another year...I'm still like that about a lot of things, but being a mom, I actually look forward to the days between Christmas and New Year's...time to sleep late (okay, sleep) kick back and enjoy quiet time with my kids, without the pressure of a looming to-do list hanging over my head. So here's to quiet days ahead, enjoying our greatest gifts...four fantastic kids that make us laugh and bring us real joy.