The week before Christmas we took it easy. Will was out of school and we let the kids sleep late, stay in their PJ's, and just play all day. We played lots of games and read lots of books. One afternoon I helped them make the snowman picture frames that were in their party favor bags from Shepherd's party. The parts of the snowman were just peel-and-stick, so they could do them without too much supervision. They had fun doing them and thought that the finished product was cool.
Mitch was off work on Christmas Eve. That night we went to the Christmas Eve service at First Baptist. My mom and Mitch's parents came and we took over the back row. The service was short and sweet, and the kids did very well. I found Ainsley's Christmas dress at a consignment sale last fall and fell in love with it! I took probably 25 pictures of her that night, and her eyes were closed or she was making a terrible face in all of them. This was the best we got. Will did the same thing. Again, this picture was the best we could do.
After the church service we went to Mitch's parents' house for snacks and visited with the Channells. We came home and got the kids into their pajamas, let them put out cookies and milk for Santa, and open the traditional one present on Christmas Eve. They each got slippers this year.
The next morning we awoke to see what Santa had brought.
We opened presents and stockings as well. Ainsley got a doll highchair, doll, doll clothes, and a doll diaper bag with accessories. Will got a weed eater and chainsaw, and art portfolio and a buggy - this went perfectly with some food and a cash register that they also got. Ainsley had been asking for a robe, so she got a pretty pink one with a butterfly on it. Will loves the "If you give a . . ." books, so he got the moose and pig books to complete his collection.
Will went to a store with my mom one day before Christmas (to see a giant train that they have set up) and ended up picking out presents for me, Mitch, Papaw and Mr. Mike at Hope Landing. Turns out that Will cannot keep a secret - he told us what they were immediately! He got Mitch a hammer and me a tape measure. He was very proud of those gifts!
Later that morning we went to Mitch's parents' house. Santa had visited there too. They got a McDonald's cash register with a head set for ordering, a tray and food. Will got a new race car game and a golf game; Ainsley got a tea set and a doll house - along with other things. We ate brunch, opened stockings, took naps and watched "A Christmas Story".
Late that afternoon we went to my mom's house. Guy and Julie could not make it on Christmas day as they'd originally planned, but we wanted to spend some time over there. We opened some of our gifts anyway. We got mom a Japanese Maple to plant in her backyard - with part of the gift being that Mitch would plant it. We didn't know how to sneak a tree over there, so we put it in the back of Gill's truck and Mitch brought it in while we opened gifts. Will got a cool NASA astronaut suit and Ainsley got a doll cradle; they both got new books, pajamas and other goodies.
It was a long, but good day. I love the kids' faces in some of these pictures. Christmas (as a parent anyway) is hard work, but the fun that they had makes it worth it. We are very blessed.
