Christmas Morning

This post is just about Christmas morning.  I have so many thoughts about Christmas this year, and we had so much activity in our house that one post covering the whole holiday would be overwhelming.  We had a wonderful Christmas this year, filled with food, family, laughter, and love.  Although we were expecting family for the holidays, they weren't scheduled to come into town until later that night and the next morning.  Our girls and grandson were safely tucked into the "old house", so it was just the five of us on Christmas morning.   

We made the boys promise that they would not wake us up until 0600.  And sure enough, 0601, they were breathing through the crack in our bedroom door.  

This is the way we do Christmas.  Santa brings one gift per kid, and fills the stockings.  The rest of the gifts are from Mom and Dad.  This year, Justice and Jack got one combined gift from Santa because it was a big one.  

Santa doesn't wrap his presents either.  Because you know, wrapping paper is a pain.  

The Coach took about 300 pictures Christmas morning.  I sifted through them all and picked out these.

I probably ought to mention that Santa always buys too many stocking stuffers and then he has to stack them on the fireplace.  Those stacks are all stocking stuffers.  Too much, I know.  The problem is that I buy them throughout the year when stuff is on sale or when a kid exclaims they would really like to have a particular thing, and then before I know it I have ten sacks of crap that won't fit in a stocking.  Every single year without fail I am scratching my head wondering how I collected so much stuff to put in their stockings.  

Justice is really interesting to buy for.  His Christmas list included a subscription to National Geographic magazine.  

Something else about Justice that I really enjoy on Christmas is his reaction to his gifts.  He is the most awesome kid to watch open presents.  His face is priceless.

Here he is, in awe because Santa put some cufflinks in his stocking.  Who knew cufflinks could be so cool?

And Jack?  Just happy to have a slinky.

And a Yumbox lunchbox.  That was one of the first things on his Christmas list.  Jack is a little OCD about his lunch.  Things aren't supposed to touch, and the Yumbox has little watertight compartments all segmented off and labeled so nothing touches.  38 bucks for a lunchbox.  Really, I spent 38 bucks on a stinking lunchbox.  

The baby finally got out of bed and was in LOVE with his "Gickey Mouse" train.  He opened no other gifts and played with nothing else for about an hour.  Honestly it took him all day to open everything.  We let him take his time so he wouldn't get overstimulated.  Nobody needs that.  

Justice got a couple of book series sets.  He was thrilled to have some new reading material.

And a new blazer with a shirt that requires cufflinks.  Justice LOVES to get dress clothes.  

I guess they were happy about whatever they opened.  They usually get a few combined gifts addressed to both of them.  I think this was the dartboard.

Another winner, LOL.

Jack got a whole bunch of really cool gifts this year, but this really touched my heart.  Several years ago when I took the boys on a trip to the zoo, Jack picked out a small panda mug.  He has had hot cocoa out of that mug every single day for about three years.  He loved that cup.  And a few weeks before Thanksgiving, Bo picked it up in a fit of anger and threw it on the floor.  It shattered, and so did Jack's little heart.  He cried harder than I have ever seen him cry.  He was truly devastated.  And then, I went on a hunt.  I was bound and determined to find a duplicate of that mug.  I searched high and low, and finally found one on ebay, shipped directly from China.  Nice to know the zoo got their stash of panda mugs right from the source, LOL.  It was exactly the same.  

He just kept staring at it.  After several minutes, he finally reached up and wiped a tear off of his cheek. He was so happy, and I was thankful I found a new one.  

 Baby got a Goodnight Moon dinnerware set.  Baby LOVES Goodnight Moon.  I read it every single night, at least five times per night.  "Read it again Mama, again!" 

I love to shop for Justice.  He is not hard to please.  He even loves to open clothes.  

Justice has a terrible intolerance to food dye.  He has been a trouper, not being able to eat candy or drink anything with dye in it.  I found a company that makes natural candy with  no artificial dye and no corn syrup.  So you know, I bought five pounds of it.  Go big or go home.  

The boys and The Coach also got their annual matching tie sets.  Three ties each, all matching.  

I don't even know what they are looking at, but it must be cool. 

Baby got some puzzles and stuff.

And Mama got a really nifty camera.  I've mentioned before I have terrible luck with cameras.  This camera is amazing.  I'm a point and shoot girl, I leave the fancy cameras to The Coach.  This cool contraption has wifi on it, so I can upload my pictures directly to all social media sites plus I can blog right from the camera.  It also automatically uploads and backs up all my pictures and I don't have to do a thing.  I can surf the net from it, stalk FB, and everything else my phone does.  It's really COOL.  I love it.  

After we opened presents, the girls came over and we all ate a gigantic breakfast.  Then we hung around in our jammies the whole rest of the day!  It was a wonderfully relaxing and low key day.  Jamaal flew in that night, and all was well in the Mack house.  

Merry Christmas my friends and family, with much love.