Presents!

Since we planned to spend Christmas afternoon and evening with our friends/neighbors Marco and Stacy and their boys, we decided to open presents on Christmas Eve. Instead of making a full meal, we chose to have cheeses, crackers, sliced meats, olives, apples and other snacks while we opened our presents in the living room. Sofia wore the Santa hat and passed our presents to each of us so that everyone had a pile, with Olivia and Sofia having the largest piles. We took turns opening presents and the girls were so excited to finally open up the presents they have been looking at, inspecting and holding for days. They were both eager to see what fun toys and things they received.

We started out by taking turns, but it quickly morphed into both girls opening their presents at the same time, which was probably a good thing since they both had so many gifts to open. Plus, both like to open their gifts and then start playing with them or put them together, rather than just move on to the next gift to be opened. Olivia received a lot of mermaids from Sian and family, a Touch Lights Board from her cousins in Atlanta, a necklace, My Little Poly and Turquoise dress from Aunt Becky and family, books from Gavin, and an apron that matches one given to me and her sister from her Great Aunt Cathy and Uncle Eric in Colorado. Sofia got a Harry Potter Wizard wand and stickers, Camp Half Blood and Harry Potter shirts from Sian and family, Magic School Bus fossil and dinosaur kit from her cousins in Atlanta, a My Little Pony, necklace and pink dress from Aunt Becky and family, a matching apron like her sister from Aunt Cathy and Uncle Eric, and a dinosaur floor puzzle and joke book from Gavin, which she immediately started reading off jokes and telling us the punch line. They both received Octonauts characters and toys as well as new clothes from us.

After all the presents were opened up, the girls got busy with playing with their favorites: The mermaids and Touch Lights Board for Olivia and the Mega Gemstone Mine Dig Kit and Jokes book for Sofia. After playing for a bit, both girls got into their pajamas to go to bed so Santa could come while they slept. They were both really excited to have so many great new toys to play with and went to bed excited for even more goodies from Santa.

Ready to open presents

Sofia sorting out the presents into piles for each person

Olivia and her pile of toys

The present opening begins!

Papa and Sofia with the Christmas tree decoration made by Aunt Becky. It quickly became a favorite in their horse games

Olivia and her Touch Lights board

Sofia and her joke book

Papa and Buddy