Christmas at the Wades

I think we made it to Rockport a little before noon. After a quick lunch the girls were ready to dive into the presents. The girls helped Mom carry them from the back into the family room. Notice Reesi's rolled up jammie pants? It's because Mom and Dad heat their house with a wood burning stove and the main rooms in the house can get quite toasty. I'm usually comfortable but the guys always think it's too warm. I guess Reesi did too. Anyway, after the presents were carried in, Papoo built a present bridge for the girls to climb under and have their picture taken. He's done this for years. I don't remember when that started but he does it every year. I like to look back at the pictures from the previous years and see how the girls have changed when they are posed in the same location and position. So, after the pictures were done, they got into their stockings. Mom still does stockings for everyone. I admit I still like seeing what's in my stocking. Joni tried to organize the present opening and have the girls open one at a time so we could see their individual reactions as they opened. Plus, it draws it out a bit and makes it last longer, which I like, after so much preparation and anticipation. I seem to have taken more pictures of Grace opening then Lyla. I think Grace was being more animated and kept getting my attention more than Lyla. They both liked their gifts though. Grace and Lyla gave Papoo a big coffee mug that they had drawn on. We gave Mimi a purse she wanted. Joni made Dad a calendar with the girls' pictures in it. We also took a group picture on the couch like we do every year. Eric wore the Nerf Dart Game safety goggles in the picture. I didn't realize that or I would have told him to take them off. He said he thought we were going to take a serious and a funny picture but he wore the glasses in the serious picture by mistake and we didn't end up taking a funny picture. Oh well, I guess he made his own funny picture. Grace and Lyla got Barbie stuff this year. Lyla actually likes to play Barbies as long as she is Ken. She got two different Ken dolls. She also got a Barbie swimming pool that I have a picture of the girls playing with in just their panties. The last picture is of them having a snack before bed that night. One reason they love coming to Mimi's is because she lets them have sweets anytime they want. She always has the big, soft sugar cookies with the think icing on them, fudge rounds or ding dongs, and/or chocolate donuts for them. And Sprite of course. It's not what I like them to eat on a regular basis but I guess it's OK every now and then when they're at Mimi's house. Lyla even saw those sugar cookies at Target a few weeks ago and got so excited. She made me give her my cell phone so she could call Mimi and tell her she needed to come to "our Target" to buy those cookies for her. After a very long day and lots of presents, we finally got the girls to bed around 10pm that night! It was a good day.

This picture is of Reesi showing her fake fingernails she had on. I bought the girls each a set of little girl fake nails. Grace and Reesi enjoyed them. Lyla wouldn't put hers on, even though they were black with pirate skulls on them.

Christmas Morning

I woke up bright and early to get my shower and be completely ready when the girls got up. We had to leave as soon as the presents were opened in order to get to my parents' house by noon and then to Eric's parent's house by 3pm and then to Eric's extended family by 5pm. It was a very full day! Anyway, we, well, I had to actually wake the girls (and Eric) up at 7am to open presents. I love having kids that don't wake up at 6am by the way. Lyla, who is normally NOT a morning person, was bright eyed and talking, which is not her norm. It was very cute. She was actually more perky then Grace. They opened their stockings first and then on to the presents. In their stockings Santa brought markers, M&Ms, Lighting cars for Lyla and Littlest Pet Shop toys for Grace. Grace also got a pair of earrings. As for their presents, they both got diaper bags for their baby dolls stocked with everything a little mommy might need. It's interesting that Lyla, our little tomboy, loves to play house. But, she has to be playing with her baby boy. Her diaper bag was a "retired" American Girl Bitty Baby version that is actually blue. Ebay is a great help to Santa for things like that. Grace got the current Bitty Baby diaper bag. It even had a little lunch bag with food and a sippy cup for her baby. They both got 2 outfits for their babies. They each also got a stroller. Lyla stroller is blue and Grace's is pink. They're just the little umbrella doll strollers. Grace asked Santa for a baby doll bathtub too. So Santa found a cute little one with a small baby in it that can get wet. Lyla got a blue bath with a swimming boy baby. The funny thing is that her swimming boy actually looks like a boy when you change his clothes, if you know what I mean! I thought Lyla would think that was really funny but she got upset when she discovered this little fact. I think it embarrassed her. Eric and I got a good laugh out of it anyway. Their big present was a set of baby doll bunk beds. This gift was actually from me and Eric. These doll beds were made for me, Julie and Joni when we were little girls. My mom has kept them all of these years. They were in pieces in her attic. Eric put them back together and refinished them. The girls were very excited about these beds! Tonight (Jan. 1) they actually tucked their babies in their new beds and kissed them goodnight before bedtime. I love to see them play house. It reminds me of when me, Julie and Joni were little. Anyway, Lyla also got a Nerf dart gun game, which they think is really fun and a car that plays music and rolls by itself. Grace got a real camera. I think that's about it for the girls. Eric got a dremel set with accessories and I got a Starbucks card and a new coat. I also got a present from Grace and Lyla that they had each made at their schools. I thought it was kind of funny that they were basically the same type of gift and they were from two separate schools. Lyla painted a rock for me and Grace sculpted a hand and painted it for me. They were both wrapped and under the tree for me. After opening presents we hurried them out the door. They brought their babies and diaper bags with them, of course. So cute.

Christmas Eve 2009

We took the girls to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. It was cute. I ate way too much very, very buttery popcorn! I told Eric it was the best movie popcorn I've ever had. Then we went to our church Christmas candlelight service. After that, it was home for dinner. After dinner they sat out cookies for Santa and they put reindeer food on the front lawn. Eric read How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Night Before Christmas. We had the girls ASLEEP by 8:10pm! I was amazed. But, Grace had been to a sleepover the previous night and stayed up until midnight! She was exhausted. And Lyla went to sleep so Santa would come. She is such a stinker. She can totally go to sleep when she decides to. She just never decides to go to sleep when it's time. Anyway, it was a good Christmas Eve. It's fun to see little kids excited about Christmas. The anticipation is better then the presents.

Christmas Art

These are some of the Christmas related drawings of Grace, plus our Christmas Newsletter.

Random drawings

I want to start scanning more of their artwork to include in my family yearbook. Here are some from the past month or so. The first 3 pages were a book that Grace made. I hope she always feels this way about herself.

These next 2 are from Grace to me. She always brings me papers like this. So sweet! I love this age.

This is a portrait of Lyla that Grace made and gave to Lyla.

This is by Grace. It reads, "I don't wunt to be coct."

This is a drawing by Lyla. She is not as interested in drawing and coloring as Grace has been. But, she's doing more lately. I loved this picture. She said the person was touching the sky. I think this is a great drawing.

Lyla colored this turkey. She's really good at staying in the lines when she wants to.