christmas # 2...

(harper found baby Jesus!)

(sleepy boy)

(the infamous doll that pees and poops---a treasured gift by the little mommy)
(oliver jack loves a ball.)
(exchanging hugs after exchanging gifts)

(calvary's tool set)

christmas eve and christmas morning are such special times for me because it is the time that i get to focus full attention on this family with which God has blessed me. i have carried on the tradition (a favorite of mine) from my family of opening a present containing new christmas pajamas. i just love finding pajamas for them and watching them put on their new duds for the special night. we also started using this time to give the kids their books. i have learned, through experience, that the attention and painstaking manner in which we pick books for the kids each holiday is lost once those children catch one glimpse of something plastic and battery operated. i trust that one day these books will have much more value. :)

rhett and julie came over, which has also become a tradition that i love so much. its nice to spend time with these friends that are much more than that during this special time of celebration. margo and harper even had matching pajamas...and as expected, margo gave oliver jack his fair share of christmas love.

once the kids were tucked into bed we knew not to expect a silent night. we have pumped their heads full of so much mystery and excitement that there was no way they were going to sleep.

i feel so conflicted about the whole santa claus lie. i have not actually brought myself to the point of telling the kids with my own mouth that santa claus is real and comes down the chimney and eats cookies and brings gifts...but i have done nothing to counter the lie.

at times harper has asked me questions like, "is rudolph real?" and i answer by saying, "i am sure there is a real rudolph somewhere." wimp.

whenever i talk about santa claus i tell the kids about the legend of the man that made gifts and carried them to needy children.

but, i still facilitate the lie. we leave cookies. we hang stockings. and we neither confirm nor deny the existence of santa. i am worse then the straight up liars. i am a fence rider. oh well.

however, all this mystery and unanswered questions do not leave children settled for a long winter's night. we knew this. but, it took far longer than we were prepared for.

after about 2 hours post tucking, kyle decided it was time to intervene. he stood up and went off to the kids' room to see what all the ruckus was about.

at this point i heard, "CALVARY! TAKE OFF THAT TUTU AND GET INTO BED!"

i couldn't help but to laugh and picture calvary prancing around the room in the new tutu that my friend traci had made harper.

after that incident, harper and calvary finally drifted off to sleep and we were able to perpetuate the lie.

the night was smooth. i thought every noise was children. perhaps i was more excited than they were?

calvary and harper came into our room around 7:30 and they were telling us about full stockings and things that looked like toys in the dark.

at this point i reminded the children that before they could open any gifts we had to find baby Jesus from my nativity scene and place him in the stable. the thought is that we can at least remember Jesus before we start opening up all these presents. it was fun to watch the kids hung for Jesus (which i had hidden weeks before in the 25th day on my advent calendar). after a few hints, harper guessed the location and Jesus was placed among the wise men and shepards.

as the kids were searching for Jesus, kyle went to wake oliver jack up. it took him a while to warm up to the idea of all this shouting and excitement, but of course he took his cue from big brother and sister and was in the middle of it all.

it was such a nice morning and the kids played and i even napped a little...it doesn't get much better than that.