Christmas Day part 1

Another thing we changed this year had to do with Christmas Day. In the previous years, the kids saw Santa's gifts first, then after all the ooo-ing and ahhh-ing Kristen passed out all the gifts to everyone and there was gift-opening chaos! This has always been fine for me as I enjoy watching them and all the chaos, but this year, I wanted to do it differently.

The kids gift each other, carefully choosing something they think their brothers and sisters will love. After all that effort, I felt they should have the pleasure of giving the gift and watching the recipient open it! When I put all the presents under the tree, I made sure the ones they bought for each other were right up front. After they all saw the treasures that Santa left for them, I handed them their gifts to each other one at a time to the giver and told them who it was to so they could give it to them themselves.

I was a little afraid they might tire of this while anxiously looking at all the gifts under the tree, but they did great!
I loved watching them experience giving. It was different than giving at birthdays, as they had to put off their desire for opening their own presents while they were giving, but they did wonderful and I think they really enjoyed watching the others open the gifts that were lovingly chosen for them :)

After their exchange was over, Kristen passed out the gifts that were left and it was chaos once again, just the way I like it ;)
See this thing? It has 849 pieces, I kid you not. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment ;)
And he has it completed :)
Nicholas has been asking us how to make a sock monkey. Well guess what? There's a kit for that :)
He is one excited little guy!

An after-present-opening snuggle :)
It was a wonderful, relaxing morning!