December 24, 2014

Some random pictures from Christmas Eve.  The kids all helped in the kitchen to make our dinner.  We did most the work in the morning.  Kate mans the stove like she is old enough now.   The three girls dressed up mid day pre-natvity as the three queens.  We didn't do the play then, but I thought it was cute.  Kate got everyone all together matching in queen dresses.
The rest of Christmas Eve went as followed.  I had worked hard on an amazing Christmas Eve Dinner.  Maybe the best Pot Roast that ever existed. I went back for fourths and I don't even like meat.  The kids helped make a fancy salad and dessert with nice dishes and drinks by candlelight.  Then there was a siblings gift exchange.  Shortly before Christmas we took them all to the store.  They each had one sibling to buy for.  It is always so great to see what they pick because they do a wonderful job.  Kate had Sam- and got him a transformer- something I didn't know he was still into until the day before Christmas when he said he hope he got one for Christmas.  Sam bought for Mari- and he picked her out a Sophia night light- she has been upset for a week because her nightlight stopped working, bonus she loves Sophia!  Marianne had Bethany and picked out a stuffed polar bear based on the fact that she already has a stuffed polar bear she loves.  I thought this was silly seeing as how she has almost the identical item- but she was thrilled with it!  Thrilled!!!  And Beth had Kate.  I helped her pick out a bracket making kit- which did not receieve great excitement- proving that the siblings all know each other's heart desires better than I.  They were so excited to give one another gifts and could hardly wait the one day between when the gifts were bought and wrapped and the next evening.    Then we had a knock on the door from our elf that always comes.  He told us this year that his name is Marsh Mellow, and that he brought us his specialty- marshmallow guns.  This was our family game this year.  They were fun, the kids couldn't do them perfectly, but I think they were one of Jake's favorite things!
The kids  also got to open their pi's and books from me.  Kate so sweetly had been "saving" certain pi's in her room that were Christmas pi's from last year and was almost disappointed when I asked that she wear the new ones I bought her.  I managed to find each kid a book with their name as the main character again.  Except Beth- who got the wizard of oz- with Dorothy- her middle name instead.    I love this tradition.  
Then it was time for bed.  Jake and I sand the kids Christmas songs to bed and they went to sleep fairly quickly.  Then Jake and I had lots of wrapping and assembling to do!