Even though some of the kids are starting to get older, they still wake up early Christmas morning, full of excitement and wonder. I can always hear them out in the living room, giggling and gasping and trying to whisper, and no matter how late I stayed up the night before, I have to get up and experience their exuberance first hand. As per family tradition, stockings are fair game and can be opened and examined as soon as they wake up. They often have candy for breakfast on Christmas morning, but isn’t that how you’re supposed to do it?
Papa slept in longer than I did, but finally we roused him and we being opening all those mysterious packages under the tree! My favorite types of gifts are things that are handmade. I know how hard the kids work on it to make it nice for me, and they thought of me the whole time they were making it. And for someone to gift you a part of their life, well that is pretty special. So I loved the birdhouse Alexandra made for me.
We still have only one person open one present at a time, which means that each gift gets appreciated and admired. But it also means that sometimes you have LOTS of people crowding around you trying to help you open it!
Some of the highlights of this year were; Alexandra getting her very own Swiffer, and Sophie getting a fancy schmancy phone. Alexandra was loudly overjoyed, and Sophie was stunned into silence. 🙂
We finally finished in time for a late lunch, and then the rest of the day was spent playing, skyping with family and relaxing. But just for a quick minute…
Later I was able to talk with some of my family, including my mom. 
It was another perfect Christmas!