Christmas Magic

Whoever said that Christmas is magical for kids was obviously not talking about two toddlers who were WAY overstimulated during the Christmas season and are just now, two weeks later, sleeping calmly through the night again. But I digress....

This was the first year that Emma was really excited for Christmas. She got to decorate wrapping paper and help wrap presents.....
decorate the Christmas tree, help her dad put lights out in front of our house, and meet Santa....
("I want those magic pills that are different colors that you put into water and stir with a spoon and then they turn into an animal")

For Emma's first Christmas, my mom bought her 25 Christmas story books that we could read one of each day leading up to Christmas. For the past few years, most of the stories were a bit over her head but this year, it was SO fun seeing her eyes light up as she was able to understand and appreciate the different stories. When she realized that Christmas is Jesus' birthday, she was very concerned if He was going to have a cake or not. So, we made a cake to share with her friends at church. Hopefully Jesus really likes sprinkles!
As soon as we woke up on Christmas morning, the kids climbed into our bed and we opened stockings. Grady got 3 bouncy balls. He spent the rest of the morning clutching two in one hand and one in the other. Why did I even bother buying him anything else? And would you believe that Emma got some of those magic capsules that turn into animals!
The rest of Christmas day was spent at Dylan's parents' house. It was a great time of being together with some of the great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

So now the craziness is over, the tree has been torched, the kids have started sleeping through the night again and we've started a new year. We hope your Christmas was as magical as ours!