Christmas 2010, we LOVED you: part 2.

Christmas Eve Pep talk and Rules of Engagement for Christmas Morning

Me:  If you wake up  and it's still dark outside, go back to sleep.

Them: Okay, can we go check the living room?

Me:  I repeat, if you wake up and it's still dark outside, you MUST go back to sleep. (In a whispered voice) Because maybe Santa hasn't arrived yet and you're peeking in the living room could scare him off, right?

Them:  (wide-eyed) Oh RIGHT.  Okay.  Dark outside = sleep.

Me:  YES!  And if it's light outside, you can wake up the others and quietly in a group come to mama and daddy's room, okay?

Them:  OKAY!  

Me:  So if it's dark outside, what do you do?

Them: GO BACK TO SLEEP!

Me:  GOOOOOOOD.  Okay, now listen, Santa could be close so you guys need to calm yourselves (as if!) and go to sleep right away, okay?

Them:  Okay . . . . 

And this is what followed . . . 

This is Tater putting Mamacita in a head lock trying to get her to stop talking and go to sleep.  Good luck with that, buddy.  

Immediately after "the grip of silence" by Tate.  Better luck next time, dude.  We had a serious case of the Christmas CRAZIES!  

Little pickle trying on "sleepiness."

Christmas morning, pre-chaos

The kids lined up from youngest to oldest.  Jon's mental age qualifies him for this starter position with Sweet Pea.

The others upset about their birth order at this point :)  

Little pickle and her SUPER FAST scooter from Santa.  I immediately ordered a helmet after seeing how fast she could go on this thing.  Wowsers.

Sweet Pea and the pop up elephant.  Good times.

A favorite gift of mine:  a love letter  from Jon with a certificate for paint and labor to repaint the living room!

Bobble head Tater.

Mamacita and Josephina:  inseparable.

Battle of the dinosaurs 

He was in his room with the door shut for hours!

sidekicks

We had a glorious day of celebrating the birth of Jesus and have had wonderful family time over the break as well.  Lots of sweet memories have been made.