Christmas

Christmas was great this year. Brett and I both agree that this year felt more like a family Christmas for us. I think it's a combination of Sophia being older and us being in our own house.

Brett and I were all prepared to get up early with the girls. The coffee pot was set. (Brett gave me a new coffee pot for an early anniversary gift!!!) After staying up late the night before dipping chocolate truffles and pretzels and listening to Sophia yell over the monitor, "Santa! Santa! Ho ho ho!," we really thought the girls would be up earlier that we liked. When I rolled over at 8:30 the next morning, I was the one jumping out of bed, ready to unwrap gifts. Next year, we will probably be up at 5 am.

Sophia was great with the whole Santa and Christmas present thing. She was more interested in watching others open their gifts. We had to wait patiently while she pulled ever so carefully on the wrapping paper of her and Claire's gifts, since we let her open Claire's too. Brett had a shoe-themed Christmas and received new snow boots, massaging gel insoles for his work shoes and black shoe polish. I also found him a new lunchbox, since his last one got chewed to death by the mice that lived with us when we moved in to the house. I had a kitchen-themed Christmas and got lots of gadgets, cutting boards, and a NEW IRONING BOARD. I never thought I would be excited about an ironing board.

We gave the girls small gifts. Sophia got new pens and stickers, a fun little light-up ball, and a new toothbrush. We also found her some plastic play food and a set of cleaning supplies, including a broom, mop, sponges and little play plastic spray bottles of "cleaner." She loved it. Claire got some new onesies, some new teethers, and a little elephant that giggles and vibrates. Lots of fun.

We spent Christmas morning at home, which was nice. We rushed off to church, came home for a quick lunch, and then headed to Lafayette to have Christmas with the Suppinger side. It was so much to watch the kids open gifts. My parents got Sophia a play kitchen, so now each family has a kiddie kitchen at their house. Sophia LOVED it, and we had to put it together as soon at it was opened. She spends most of the day playing in her "chitchen" now.