Merry Christmas to All...and to all a Good Night!

Christmas Eve finally came after we'd spent the day keeping busy with this and that, so we headed out to Grandma Mary Kay's house. The kids could not wait! They looked super spiffy and adorable in their Christmas Eve outfits. Annabel thought she was the bees' knees- she was so cute and she knew it. We loved her expressive dances...just wait till you look below and see 'em- she's a hoot, oh my goodness. Unwrapping presents was basically a blur....the kids were beyond excited and went so fast, we had a hard time keeping up, but they were so cute and so thankful for everything, we loved it all. And of course when all was unwrapped, it was time to open packages up and try out the new toys! It was all so fun!

After all that fun playtime and a yummy meal, we came back home to get ready for Santa and head to bed...after all, the kids knew he wouldn't come until they were sleeping! So, we decorated cookies for Santa, counted out 9 carrots (after all, Daniel says, Rudolph helps Santa every Christmas just in case), hung our stockings with care (we saved this for Christmas Eve this year...I kinda liked it this way!), and hung our special Santa Key on our front door. And then it was time to put our pajamas on, but Daniel remembered the pajama elf (he'd been checking under his pillow all day, actually! it was so cute!) and he checked under his pillow one last time and lo & behold...instead of pajamas, a clue was left! Daniel read the clue (he's reading quite well these days, it still boggles my mind!) and ran to tell Annabel to check under her pillow where she found the same clue...Look under the tree. The kids couldn't run down the stairs fast enough, it was too funny...and there under the tree, they found matching Snoopy Christmas pajamas! (Or as Annabel says, Charlie Brown jamas; she can't seem to get that the dog is Snoopy.) They were over the moon! It was all so fun! And then I read my last two Christmas stories...The Pajama Elf and The Night Before Christmas. Cute story- when I was reading the pajama elf, two things came up- one was that the elves make the pajamas for good girls and boys and Daniel's face lit up right away and he exclaimed, "We're on the Nice List!" (as if to say, phew!- perhaps he was worried?!), and secondly, Daniel also really paid attention to the part where the story tells how the elves come and measure the kids to get their pajamas fitted just right- "well, they must have not measured me at all because look at these sleeves!" Oh it was too funny. Yes, the sleeves were a bit long- I told him the elves probably thought he would grow a bit...good save, yes? (Truthfully, I just wanted them to last more than a year!) Anyway, it was a super fun Christmas Eve!

And to top it all off...Annabel's cutest expression of the week..."Merry Christmas and to all and to all a good night!" (Yep, her words exactly, no typos here...and said so super cutely, too!!!)

Here comes Santa Claus!

Annabel thinks she's the bees' knees in this adorable outfit...and she's right of course!

Sweet picture!

Oh those expressions are killing me- too funny! 

Daniel's eyes are saying here we go again! Annabel...no idea, it's just funny.

 Oh the moves this girl does!

 Annabel is such a hoot...check out her dances!

Annabel fell asleep on the way to Grandma's house...I sure kept her busy that day!

Stocking and Present time!

Annabel LOVES her Pretend & Play School! What a hit! 

Legos- always a hit!

Daniel really wanted this Hot Wheels Bathtub Playset...here he's saying he'll take a bath EVERY night now! (He's said this all along, from the minute this item went on his list!) Hah. Fat chance. But I love the enthusiasm, buddy!

Already playing school.

Making a certificate for me. Cute story...there are "Hall Passes" in this set and I told Annabel they are for letting kids go to the bathroom during class. Later, while finishing up dessert at the table, she wanted to play school and I said I had to go to the bathroom first and then I would play...she ran off and came back with a Hall Pass for me! It was too funny. I was impressed she put that pass into real action.

Daniel was very excited to get this Spiderman sweatshirt he'd spotted at Target one day...I had told him I would put it on his list...and voila! He tried it on right away and has worn it every day since!

Oh boy here we go! Annabel's first princess dress-up- Sofia the 1st- of course she LOVES to play dress up with this outfit now!

Decorating cookies for Santa!

Counting out (and snacking on!) carrots for the reindeer!

Hanging our special Santa Key on the front door!

Pajama Elf Frenzy! Daniel ran off before I could even blink, and turn the camera on, but I got Annabel running as fast as her legs could carry her! Their reactions to the pajamas were so cute!

  

The children were nestled all snug in their beds...

LOVE the toes!