Christmas Present Opening

Like I said before...this was not the year for restraint and the girls were pretty stoked about it!  ☺

Santa brought both A and O a flat screen (22 inch) television and a DVD player.  Mommy would never do such a thing.  I just, for the first time this February, (I was almost 39) brought a television into my bedroom.  I would never have let my kids have a t.v. in their bedrooms!  However, Santa (and Mrs. Claus), in their infinite wisdom, realized that there are 6 of us living in a 1,400 square foot townhouse with not as many friends as we are used to....and we could stand to have some quiet, private time away from the rest of the family.  He is a smart man! 

Gigi was very excited about "her size" Elmo from Santa Claus.  It was funny that Daddy and she were wearing the same suit as Elmo!  ☺

It was a very burnt orange Christmas for Mick!  Even the big girls and I got some Texas stuff because Daddy likes us to wear burnt orange on game days!  ☺

It was a very Keurig Christmas!  Thank you!  Also, I want to point out that I had our matching footed pajamas from 2007 embroidered with the snowman and monogrammed before we left for Florida, but didn't get around to getting Claire one in her size this year.  After looking at these pictures....I definitely will get on that next year!

Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Tracy and Uncle Doug gave Claire this grocery cart to go with the grocery stand that they gave her.   However, Gigi likes it just as much as Claire and plays with it whenever Claire allows her near it.  (Which is not always.)  Gigi got the rocking cow from G, G, T and D, but is a bit afraid of it right now.  However, I'm super excited about it because we left our beautiful wooden rocking horse in storage and I miss it!    And sorry for the world's longest caption, but notice that I had Claire's name embroidered on the pajamas as she was the first to wear them and then Gigi's name under it.  Are heirloom Christmas footie pajamas obsessive?  ;-)

Audrey's "big" present was a Nook from G, G, T and D!  She loved using the Kindle app on her iTouch, so I know she is going to LOVE this!  ☺

Claire's favorite present, at this moment, it changed hourly, was the Princess and a Frog costume from G&G. 

Mick got a classic Elvis costume from Tracy and Doug, complete with a black wig!  I don't know why they thought he needed a wig! ;-)

Claire was very excited to open up Sensei Ai's present of Japanese candies!

There were many more thoughtful presents from around the family that aren't pictured here.  Claire (AND Olivia) love the hairdresser costume that Aunt Katy and Uncle Dario sent for Claire and were playing "salon" for a good long while yesterday!  GrandDad doesn't get photo evidence of the joy his contributions to their education account bring, but they are appreciated by us, now, and will be by the girls later!  Uncle Curt and Aunt Anne sent some really thoughtful gifts for all, but the favorite is the Wii Sports Resort game!  Mick and Audrey played until TOO LATE on Christmas night! Aunt Judy and Aunt Mary Frances remembered Claire and Olivia's love for puzzles and sent a really neat Santa cube puzzle.  Puzzles are a favorite activity year round, but especially on the holidays!  And there are more gifts coming in from Nana and Aunt Nico.  I told them (and all of you for the future) NEVER EXPRESS SOMETHING TO US because it so much more fun to have the holiday prolonged!  ☺

I laid with each of the girls (like almost always) last night in their beds and talked about Christmas Day and the big girls were in awe over how "spoiled" (their word) they were this year.  I told them that yes, they were, and it won't always be like this, but it sure was FUN (for me too!!!!) this year!

Last night, when Mick and I finally hit the sack (where did that idea of an 8:00 bedtime go, when we were laying down at 11:30?), I said that when you don't have family or friends that are like family (like it was in Camp Pendleton, Charlottesville and Fishhawk), it is full-on, all cards on the table, nothing held back parenting, (all the time but, oh!) especially on Christmas Day since you want so much for your kiddos to be happy!   It was just the six of us and we had a lot of fun and I think the girls had a wonderful day (HOORAY!), but WHEW!  That was hard work!

I need to thank Daddy, that Mick Wagoner, for all of his hard work on Christmas Day.  I was soooo wiped out and took a nap with the little girls in the morning after we opened presents, but he powered through and put together the vanity that G, G, T and D sent Olivia as well as the grocery store for Claire.  He was super helpful and fun all day and when it got to evening I said, "I'm so tired and I took a nap!  I can't imagine how you feel!" and he said, "I'm trying to be a Marine for you, sweetie."  I told him that I especially appreciated being married to a Marine Officer with all of his sleep deprivation training on Christmas Day!  I am so.not.a military officer by any stretch of anybody's imagination.  I cry when I get tired and I can't handle stress.  So, thank you Mick for a wonderful Christmas!

Okay, long, long post.......I'll sign off and write another one when I have a minute.  Merry Christmas!!!!!