Look at what I got!

We did our little family "Christmas" tonight before we leave town so that we didn't have to haul all our gifts back and forth to the lake. I've decided it also helps cut down on the overload that is often felt with kids at Christmas. This way they get it in small doses instead of all at once. I honestly think it could make the difference between tantrums and peace.

We started with eating dinner at our favorite spot: Hong Kong Chef. After some yummy sweet & sour chicken, garlic beef & general tsao chicken, we waddled home. (Actually, we drove, but we all had full bellies). Then, Erik & I sat down with a glass of wine to help the girls open their gifts. They first pulled them all out and made piles. Erik had a small pile, Mine was nonexistant (because I got my camera early), Kera's was a little bigger and LIndsay's was the biggest.

I got a little worried when I saw the sizes of their piles and had to go through in my mind what I had gotten them again. I thought for sure that Kera would fuss that Lindz got more. But, thankfully, as we took turns opening gifts and they got excited about what they were each receiving, the sizes of the piles went unnoticed. And actually, they got about the same amoung of gifts, it just took more boxes for Lindsays. So it went well. They both got a lot of what they wanted and so after a second glass of wine Erik & I set to work on opening the almost adult proof packaging they now put on children's toys. After about an hour and a half or so, they both had their toys free and full of batteries. Then, Erik and I were treated to hearing Dora sing about being a mermaid and a Pony ask for someone to rock it to sleep the rest of the night.

Kera and her new pony baby. She actually got really excited to see her gifts this year, especially when she saw that they were items she had asked for. It was really cute to see how her eyes light up when she's all excited. She was really stoked about the Dora Mermaid doll that she got. Maybe now she'll learn some spanish. lol

Lindsay got this cute little thing called Lil' Luvables. Its basically a smaller version of that build a bear store. So, we read the directions and stuffed three cute little bears. She was pretty excited about that one--its the one she was asking Santa & everyone for. I have a feeling we'll be getting more empty bears and clothes for them in the near future. She also got a cute little jewelry & purse set from her sister. See------------------------------------------------>

Isn't she cute?

A living room full of wrapping paper, two glasses of wine and three little stuffed bears later, and I'm really beat. I'm ready for bed now, hopefully the girls will not fuss too much about ending their playtime with the new toys. We have a ton to do tomorrow to get ready to be gone next week and a birthday dinner out to go to tomorrow night--not to mention a little addition of Baby Amari at our house in the morning--so I need some rest before all that I think!