Our Christmas
I'm going to try to describe our Christmas without getting too long-winded. It may be a little difficult, though, since we really kind of celebrated for three days. It's funny that I enjoy blogging as much as I do considering the fact that I HATED writing in high school (AP English was a pain)! Oh well...people change, even me...lol.
I also have a few pictures to share. It may seem like there are a lot here, but they really only scratch the surface of all the ones that we took.
I've already talked about our celebration with my family, so here are some pictures from Saturday.
A. with Santa Claus. This year she's acted pretty shy around him, although I'm not really sure why. We all know better, especially Santa!
J. with Santa. He was kind of quiet at first, too, but definitely managed to ask for his helmet!
And here's my baby niece with Santa. Of course she didn't cry this year, but we'll see how she reacts next year. Maybe she won't be scared of him, though, neither of my kids was.
Here's A. with her Barbie Guitar my sister and her husband got her. Doesn't she look like a little rock star?
Sunday P. and I spent the day cleaning the house and trying to get ready for Christmas. We put the kids to work cleaning their rooms, and we cleaned up downstairs. They decided they didn't really want to be on their best behavior, but after Mommy made a phone call to Santa to make sure he was aware of their antics (which of course he was), they straightened up. 
I made sure they heard me when I made the "phone call" and P. was in the kitchen trying to keep from bursting out laughing. He said he didn't know how I kept from keeping a straight face. Oh well, a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do, right? I made a trip to the grocery store to get a few last minute things I needed for cookies. We had some cookie mix, but I insist on making certain ones from scratch. After we finished getting our cleaning done, the kids came down and helped me make chocolate chip cookies. I have to say, these were the best chocolate chip cookies that have ever come out of my kitchen. Must have been my little helpers! J. very carefully read the ingredient list and the instructions for us. I measured out the ingredients and the kids helped combine them and mix everything. Then they helped me scoop them onto the baking pans...well, the first couple of batches anyway. In the middle of baking cookies, we let them open the one traditional Christmas Eve gift. J. opened up a model Ferrari (bringing back memories of our trip to the Ferrari Museum in Italy), and Daddy helped him put it together. He's not quite old enough yet for a really complex one, so it didn't take too terribly long. We had been using the NORAD Santa Tracker to keep tabs on Santa all day, and about 9:30 we found out he had entered Florida. We decided that Uncle Robbie better be in bed, and I told them they'd better get in bed, too, since it wouldn't take Santa long to make his way to NC. So we put out the two chocolate chip cookies and half glass of milk that Santa had specifically asked them for, and they were off to bed.
After they went to bed, I made some Chocolate Drop Cookies (also called No-Bake Chocolate Cookies), and P. made some sugar cookies. Then we got ready for Christmas. We didn't have as much as we do sometimes, but we got the kids things they had specifically asked for and we knew they would appreciate. It's really pretty easy to make them happy at the age they are now, and I know I need to appreciate that while it lasts.
We had stressed to them the importance of waking us up before they came downstairs on Christmas morning. About 7:30 I heard one of them moving around in my room. A. had tiptoed in, and come around to my side of the bed (which is the farthest from the door). She leaned over me (I guess to see if I was awake), then started to tiptoe out. I asked what she was doing sneaking around in my room. It's a good thing I'm a much lighter sleeper than I was when I was younger. So P. and I came downstairs and got the cameras ready and started the coffee (very crucial) and told them to come on downstairs.
Here are the helmets Santa brought them so they can ride the motorcycles with Mommy and Daddy.
J. was so excited about his helmet. That was just about the first thing he noticed. He tackled it and rolled around on the floor with it...LOL!! He's such a goofy kid. 
They had a good time opening their presents here at home. One thing they got that J. has been talking about wanting to see for a while now, is a set of tickets to a Monster Truck show here in Fayetteville. He was pretty excited about that. I love the fact that they're not at the age yet that how much they get is what they focus on.
After we had our Christmas here, we packed up and headed for P.'s parents' house to have Christmas with them. When we got there, we walked into the living room to put the gifts we had brought under the tree. Well, we could barely get into the room, much less find room under the tree to put anything else. P.'s dad said, "Can we say overkill?" LOL...ya think?? So we visited with his parents and his brother and sister-in-law while we waited for his sister to get there. When she arrived, we started the gift exchange there. The kids got way too much, as usual, but they had a great time.
A little play tent that A. got. J. got one too. They wanted so badly to open them up while we were there, but we told them they had to wait. We haven't been able to pull them out here yet, either. Don't know where we'll set it up...there's no room in their bedrooms for them.
She got a newborn Cabbage Patch. She was just tickled. She got a highchair and other accessories for her, too. It was pretty funny listening to her and J. arguing over whether he was the daddy or not. I settled that one pretty quickly, though. Nope, J.'s the uncle...lol.
J. got yet another model car. This one was a Mustang like his Papa's, only a different color.
He got most of the cars from the movie "Cars" in matchbox size. He's only missing a couple, so he can almost reenact the movie, which I think he already knows by heart.
Here's the desk he got from his Nana and Papa. He's been wanting one, so he was pretty happy about it. A. got a little vanity and shelf for her room.
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