christmas 2013

after david got home at 930 on christmas eve, we proceeded to wrap everything and get the house ready for christmas.  last year we left all our gifts in the cardboard boxes they got mailed to us in, but this year we thought it'd be fun to wrap everything.  my grandma sent us an elf on the shelf, but we turned him into the elf guard.  the only way i could pacify pace from not opening every box that came to our doorstep was by telling him the elf was the box guard and it was his job to guard our boxes until christmas, and on christmas morning, he will go home to his family with santa.  so anyway, i had wrapped quite a few presents during nap time, and put them back in the boxes so the boys wouldn't suspect anything, but we still had some wrapping to do.  so while david built the fire station "doll house" (we've had this stashed away for a few years), i wrapped the remaining gifts, and then finished sewing up the stuffed animals i'd made for them.  you'll notice the owl only has one eye.  i ran out of blue embroidery floss at 130 in the morning.  he is still a cyclops.  max doesn't seem to notice.

here's how we left it christmas eve night...

the boys woke up pretty early and pace and david came downstairs while i got max changed.  they had some good playtime while they were waiting for us.

and then the cute photos i was envisioning...hats, matching pi's (thanks, uncle je--i think they're adorable!--the boys also had a very extravagant christmas thanks to all the family gift, especially uncle je.)...the boys didn't think it was as adorable as i was thinking...

it literally took all day to open presents, which made it really fun.  the boys would open one or two things, and play with them for the next half hour, and then move on to something else.  it was definitely a slow, quiet morning.  very fun!  we got max a little tricycle so they boys can bike ride together next summer--as we were opening this one, max said, "w-o-w!"

of course, the best part was playing in the boxes...

and the car crusher from bishka.  he was so excited he said he was shaking!