Christmas Day 2021

The kids went to bed at a decent time on Christmas Eve this year.  I think that part of it was the fact that we had no definite plans -- no company to entertain, no house to put back in order after guests left, and all of the kids were feeling sleepy after finishing their movie.  After we were sure that they were sound asleep, Steve and I set to work pulling presents out of boxes and stuffing stockings.  One of my favorite things to do (besides planning parties, pulling together decorations and decorating cakes) is to wrap presents.  I love the shiny paper, the bright ribbons and seeing them all on display.  Therefore, I wrap everything -- even the items for stockings! -- and then have them boxed away until after the kids go to bed and we are ready to set them out under the tree.

Everything was all put  by 10:30 pm that night, just waiting for the kids to come down the next morning:

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ... and anxious to see what was underneath all of the paper:

The kids sat around in a small circle and took their time, each opening one gift at a time.  Nothing bothers me more than complete chaos and not being able to see the looks on their faces when they open their gifts.  I pride myself on picking out some very personal gifts (making notes all year long as I think of things) and the pleasure that comes from seeing their excitement is the only thing that I really need.

One of the best ideas for Christmas morning is to hand each kid a laundry basket for them to put their gifts in after they are opened.  It keeps things contained -- especially the smaller items -- and makes it simpler to pull out to show family that comes over later in the day.  It also makes it easier to take everything to their rooms later when they want to sort things and put them away.

This girl goes through so many mechanical pencils that she actually put them on this year's "Christmas List."  As you can see, she was pretty happy to get a big pack of them.

This hair dryer brush has so many positive reviews online and I thought that it would be a great gift for her.  I, personally, NEVER blow-dry my hair (so much frizz because of my curls), but Samantha's curls are looser than mine and I think that she will really enjoy using it.

This bag ...!  I save it every year and use it just for Jack.  I think that this might be our 6th year using it!

Sophia's main gift from us was a new vanity and stool for her room.  She is really into beauty products so she also received a mini fridge for her room to store some of her "cold creams" in.

A new camo cap for this boy because his other hats from last year were getting small on him.  He is so fair-skinned (like his momma) that he really needs a hat on at all times during the summer.

Jimmy's main gift from us was an electric scooter and I have a feeling that it will be getting LOTS of use this Spring/Summer/Fall.

Not pictured: Jack received a new BMX bike (which he LOVES) and Samantha opened a new writing/drawing tablet that she can use in conjunction with the laptop that we plan to get for her after the holidays.  I use my tablet so much for teaching online and she really took an interest in it ... giving me a great idea for her.

Later on, my family and Steve's dad came over for a more non-traditional Christmas meal.  Instead of a big, sit-down style dinner, I opted to do soups and salad with bread and appetizers.  I made a big bowl of homemade applesauce, lots of desserts and drinks and we had a great time.  The neighbors joined in -- games were played, football was watched and there was tons of merry cheer to end out our year ...