I love traditions and bringing up our children with the same traditions. We do our gift exchange on the Vahle side on Christmas Eve evening. Instead of having a meal, we indulge on appetizers that everyone brings. This year, I took sausage balls, buffalo chicken dip, and cherry fluff dessert. There is always way too much food but we seem to say that every year with the intention of making less the next year!
After eating the kids were anxious to open their gifts. Addi got to begin since she was the most anxious and the youngest! It was so cute because we would tell her who it was from before she opened it and she would have this adorable look of surprise on her face and then run over and give hugs and say thank you before even opening the gift! She got a Baby Alive and a pack of diapers for Baby Alive from Aunt Lisa and Uncle James. She also got a giant Barbie sticker book, finger nail polish set, coloring books, and bath stuff from Aunt Dee and Uncle Tag. From Nina and Papaw she got a Disney Princess dress up trunk with 5 different dress up outfits, a board that she can write on with water-filled markers, and (the gift that was the BIGGEST hit of all the gifts she received the whole Christmas) a pair of red, glittery Dorothy shoes! She WAS ENAMORED by these shoes. It was hilarious. She instantly wanted to put them on never took them off until she went to bed that night! She really loves to watch the movie “The Wizard of Oz”—it’s so funny because how many 2-year olds like that movie? Anyway, she prissed around all night modeling her shoes and would repeatedly say, “Look at my beautiful Dorothy shoes. Aren’t they beautiful?” She would walk around just staring at them. It was the funniest thing—she amazes me at her girlyness!
After eating the kids were anxious to open their gifts. Addi got to begin since she was the most anxious and the youngest! It was so cute because we would tell her who it was from before she opened it and she would have this adorable look of surprise on her face and then run over and give hugs and say thank you before even opening the gift! She got a Baby Alive and a pack of diapers for Baby Alive from Aunt Lisa and Uncle James. She also got a giant Barbie sticker book, finger nail polish set, coloring books, and bath stuff from Aunt Dee and Uncle Tag. From Nina and Papaw she got a Disney Princess dress up trunk with 5 different dress up outfits, a board that she can write on with water-filled markers, and (the gift that was the BIGGEST hit of all the gifts she received the whole Christmas) a pair of red, glittery Dorothy shoes! She WAS ENAMORED by these shoes. It was hilarious. She instantly wanted to put them on never took them off until she went to bed that night! She really loves to watch the movie “The Wizard of Oz”—it’s so funny because how many 2-year olds like that movie? Anyway, she prissed around all night modeling her shoes and would repeatedly say, “Look at my beautiful Dorothy shoes. Aren’t they beautiful?” She would walk around just staring at them. It was the funniest thing—she amazes me at her girlyness!
Austin got a pea coat with a scarf and an American Eagle gift card from Nana and Papaw. He got some cologne and gift certificates for car washes from the Bartram’s and a gift card from Aunt Dee and Tag.
After leaving there, we stopped by my sister’s house to enjoy some time with my parents and my grandparents and aunt (who were all in from Louisville). My sister had cooked dinner (which we missed) and everyone was just hanging out socializing and playing cards.
It was late when we got home from my sister’s house and Santa and I had a lot of preparations to tend to before Christmas morning so we hurriedly got Addi to get Santa’s milk and cookies set out as well as the pictures that she had painted for Santa Christmas Eve morning!
We prepared Addi by telling her that when Santa came to bring presents he would be picking up our Elf and taking her back with him. She wasn’t real happy about that, telling us that she would really miss her elf Tye (which is what she named our GIRL elf after Uncle Jackie’s dog).
We read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and then off to bed it was!
We read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and then off to bed it was!
Isn't it funny how you never know which gifts they'll love? My girls favorite gift from the entire holiday: a $1 squeaking dolphin LED key chain from the one spot at Target: ha! If she's anything like my girls she'll get a ton of play out of her dress up clothes. Love her little girl elf - I didn't even know until this year that there were girl elfs. I'm thinking one elf is enough so I'm not even going to enlighten my girls with that new information.
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