Christmas Recap

Happy hump day before our final holiday push into the new year! 

I hope everyone had a good Christmas despite the circumstances. Although we missed seeing extended family for the holiday (we were supposed to go to Kansas this year) we did still enjoy making memories in our new home. It was Ivy's first Christmas and the first year Kip was really into the magic of the season so it was a special time to have those memories in our home. It may well be the only year we get to have Christmas at our house so I tried my best to treasure that experience. 

I took all of last week off of work but I ended up having to work a lot. It is so incredibly hard to separate work life and home life when I essentially live at work. I'm trying to make boundaries but in reality it's super hard to focus 100% on work 100% of the day when I can hear the kids downstairs and I'm still nursing. It's no ones fault but my own but I wish my bosses at a bit more understanding of what full-time parent and simultaneous full-time employee actually feels like. 

Anyways, on to our Christmas recap!

On Christmas eve we took family photos during the day because it was nice weather and we felt like Kip would be more cooperative BEFORE the mass of gifts the following day. I'm so happy Mandy helped this happen because the photos came out really well.

For dinner that night we made an appetizer extravaganza for something different and special.

After dinner we got our cookies and milk and carrots ready for Santa and the reindeer.

 

 

Kip watched the Christmas episode of Trash Truck and then we put him to bed. Once he was asleep we hauled all the gifts that accumulated over the month and put them up by the Christmas tree and then we loaded the stockings. Both my family and Dan's family sent so many wonderful gifts for the kids. It was a bit excessive honestly but it felt like one of those years where it was okay to overcompensate a bit.

 

Santa got Kip a Thomas the Train power wheel. He had played with this toy over a year ago when Mandy took him to the house where she is a nanny for another family. We decided that this year may be the last year for a toy like this and since we have space and his train obsession is so strong we splurged. When he saw it he thought Mandy had brought it from Ezra's house and didn't realize it was for him to keep! It has some tracks that it runs around but it also works off the tracks. 

 

Ivy got a Lovevery baby play gym that converts to a tent.

Christmas morning, the plan was for Mandy to sort of set-up the living room while Kip was in our room having his morning milk and watching a show (we call this family bed). But in rare fashion, Kip slept through his okay to wake clock and by the time he got up the living room lights were on and he could see all the set-up downstairs. He came into our room and immediately told me "there is a big Thomas down there. Nini (Mandy) got it for me!" I acted surprised and asked if it was Nini or Santa? 

 

We hurried our morning routine and I went downstairs to take video of Kip coming downstairs. He was SO excited to see the big Thomas train.

 

 

After Kip got over the shock of the Thomas he encouraged him to open other gifts. It took half the day for him to make his way through everything. The magic and excitement at this age is so sweet and it was great to just relax and watch him take it all in. 

 

Kip got a bunch of Duplos, tracks for his LEGO train, "little train" pieces (tracks, a bridge, and station for his wood train set), games, a backhoe toy (from Santa Mandy), a marble run, a star projector nightlight, and a TON of other stuff. Ivy got a bunch of baby toys, plush dolls, and some clothes. Kip "helped" her open everything. 

The kids also got a Radio Flyer beach wagon for the summer. I'm super excited for summer.

 

 

 

 

Mandy made scones for breakfast which is part of my family's Christmas morning traditions. 

We FaceTimed with my parents and Jessy and later in the afternoon we did a video call with Dan's family. The kids naps stayed on schedule and we kept the day low-key and filled with slow opening of presents and playing. 

 

Once kids are in the picture, the activity of Christmas really shifts in a fun way. Us adults got some awesome gifts as well and we all treasured the lazy playful day. Overall, it was a wonderful Christmas filled with good memories. 

Family Christmas jams!

We spent the rest of the weekend cleaning-up, finding new homes for all the toys, putting away some of the Christmas decorations, and mourning the end of the holiday season. It certainly looked different but different isn't always bad.