Jackson knows that we leave money out for Santa, just like our parents did many years ago. :) Previous years we never really made a tradition of giving the boys a gift wrapped from "mom and dad." I don't really know why except they get so much from Santa. We just didn't. We don't typically open gifts as just an immediate family because we go to so many other family Christmases on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Paul and I, if we buy each other something..sometimes we do sometimes we don't depending on all we have done for each other already throughout the year :), usually exchange after the kids go to bed. My parents always gave us a gift just from them at our annual Christmas Eve party though, and I was thinking this year if they hadn't I might have had more suspicion about Santa not being real. Gosh, I got to type this post fast! Before Jackson comes up here since he is reading now!!! LOL Those days are over of spelling and him not being able to see what I type!
Anyway, so this year we decided to do something small from us to them (a new tradition being made), and it was last minute so there weren't many toys left when we finally went to shop for something. :) We went the day before Christmas Eve if that tells you anything. And, man oh man. Was I glad I had shopped extra early for Santa. I don't see how people wait to the last minute without enduring chest pains! I know that some people have to wait for payday which is totally understandable. But, I know people whose salaries are triple ours and still wait to the last minute. It is often hard to go early, and I do get good sales but maybe the last minute sales are better? I don't know. (This year I even had to do it alone. We always like to do a date night and Santa shop. But, you just have to do what you have to. The sale I needed didn't coincide with a date we both didn't have to work, so I played Santa all alone. Was it as fun? Nah. But, the kids are first and foremost not me. :) And, a big thanks to Maw Maw for watching them while I shopped. Don't worry..I "paid" her against her will with Toys R Us gift cards I earned for a later visit while shopping and she got an awesome deal on my nephew's drums with them!) But, on Christmas Eve Eve night there was hardly anything left! And, the people in the aisles seemed so stressed and frantic. And, the lines were horrid. I needed a few other necessities as well or I think I would have just put the last minute gifts from us back and foregone the whole idea.
So, anyway, it was cheap and simple, and last minute like I said, but as you can see kids don't care. :) They just like any gift. Or maybe I should say any toy. :) Or maybe I should say anything wrapped. Who knows? I know they surely love the element of surprise or at least my boys do.
Oh, wait. How could I forget? Wonderful blogger still puts my pictures in whatever order they please..so you will see more later of them opening their gifts from us. :) After their special treat, they made cookies for Santa. This has long been a tradition on Christmas Eve night, but I have had to become more flexible with this tradition. So, maybe they weren't wearing their Christmas PJs for the pics, but they still look adorable putting them on the pan. It is so late when we get home after all the Christmas Eve festivities, we just ended up having to move this tradition to Christmas Eve morning. And, one day I will probably go back to work more hours and end up having to work a Christmas Eve I am sure again, so this tradition will once again probably find another suitable timeframe..but I digress. :)
I love this picture! Look at Preston's face. He was so cute this holiday when he opened his gifts. He kept saying, "(gasp!) I have been waiting for this my whole life!" Where he got that I have no idea. But, it was hilarious. Especially considering that meant he had been waiting a whole three years for whatever gift it was he was opening. He can be so overdramatic. Nothing is ever pretty or neat or cute. Instead he always gasps (even at toys) and says, "It is SO bwetiful!"
So, there you have it. A new tradition. :) Yes, I am sure inside Paul was cringing. :) But, it is a good new tradition to have, don't you think?
0 comments:
Post a Comment