Christmas Morning

By the time we got home on Christmas Eve, it was very late. On the way home, I looked outside up at the stars, and I couldn't help but think about Christmas Eve's when I was a kid. Driving home from my own grandparents' house, and staring at the sky, trying and hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa. Even when I got only enough to know better, I would still look. Just in case. Now I'm in the front seat, watching the stars out of habit, and I have my own kids in the backseat. It's an amazing feeling. And surreal.

We got home, and both kids were asleep. Poor Max walked inside and laid on the couch to fall back asleep. While I got Caroline to bed, Walter said Max crawled to his bed. What a sweetie he can be sometimes. I went ahead and set out the cookies and milk for Santa, and took pictures so Max could see. I was sad that he didn't get to participate. But he was still excited when I told him the next morning.

Christmas morning, I woke up to my alarm. Luckily I set it, because I don't know that any of us would be up by 8, when my parents came over! I got up and picked up and got the house read for "company." (i.e. my parents) When Max woke up, he was pretty grumpy, and didn't notice anything at first. I pointed out the cookie plate and milk, and then the presents Santa left. Later, he had fun telling about how "Santa came and ate the cookies and drank the milk, but didn't eat the cookies all up, and left a mess- silly Santa."

We let Max play with his Santa gift, and Caroline's too, since she was still sleeping! When my parents came over, I remembered the stockings. Just like he did with his stocking at Grandma Jackie's house, he took everything out one at a time. It was kind of a long process. I love that he was so excited about every little thing.

At this point, Max was no stranger to presents. He knew to flip over the box, find the seam and ripped and tore through the paper. He even helped Caroline open her presents. She slept through it all, and was generally unimpressed with Christmas altogether.

Mom and Dad joined us for a quick church service and treated us to a chinese buffet lunch. :)  It didn't really feel like Christmas to me, but I'm excited to start new traditions with my growing family.