Last night we celebrated a bit of an early Christmas, just our family.
This is because we're leaving tomorrow (!) for California! We're doing our annual road-trip out to spend Christmas with family and friends. Everyone around here is so excited.
(Note to potential burglars: our house is chock-full of cheap thrift store finds and any technology we own is totally outdated and half-broken. There's nothing you want here. Trust me.)
Anyway, last night we had dinner, the kids got their pjs on, I baked up some gingerbread cookies, we put some Christmas music on, and we gathered around the tree to open gifts. Well, mostly the kids opened gifts, because Kevin and I never exchange gifts. Is that strange? I don't think so.
There were gifts for the kids we'd received in the mail from Kevin's parents, and gifts from Kevin and I. This was the first year that we really did the whole gift thing for the kids. Honestly, they receive so much from both sets of grandparents that it was not particularly necessary. As the kids are getting older though, we are wanting to get in on the act. It was a lot of f un choosing things for them--all of them bought second-hand in excellent condition. The kids don't understand the distinction yet between "used" stuff and "brand new" stuff. Which works out nicely. :)
It was a flurry of excitement but it was so incredibly wonderful. I love my kids, and I love that they get into whatever traditions we happen to be celebrating.
We open one gift at a time, and the funny thing is, they get SO EXCITED for their siblings' gifts--just about as excited as for their own. Priceless.
The highlight of my evening was probably when Anna opened up her final gift from us. She has finally reached the age where there are a few things she actively "wants". For the past year or so, she has occasionally mentioned that she wants a robe. And when I was out shopping several weeks ago, I found the CUTEST pink robe, just her size, and super cheap. PERFECT. There were even a couple of times since I'd bought it when we'd be out, she'd see a robe, and mention that she really liked it.
SO, last night, when she opened up her gift...there was twirling, shrieking, dancing around with the robe. So cute. She was SO excited, slept in it last night, and kept hugging me and thanking me. A super simple gift, but so very treasured. Again, priceless.
Don't mind all the laundry baskets in the background. They are all part of my fantastic packing-for-five-kids system. I'll have to share it sometime.
Today I am packing, sneaking away for a couple of hours to see some friends, and hitting the mall for hopefully a (very) brief visit to pick up a gift for my mom and some ProActive for me. Kevin's at work and the kids are in vacation mode. You know, bouncing off the walls and all that. :)
I do plan to blog while I'm away so keep coming back! (Did you know that you can "follow" me, and any other blogger, on Google Reader? You can sign up on the side-bar. I love my Reader--it makes reading blogs so much simpler!)
Well friends, I'm off to go see my friends and run my errands. Happy Tuesday! (And come back tomorrow for a highly entertaining version of "What I Wore Wednesday." Seriously. It's a do-not-miss for sure.)
