This Is How We Do It: Christmas

Working the afternoon/evening of Christmas Eve comes with Mark's job, so we often find ourselves traveling Christmas morning to visit with family.  When kiddos arrived on the scene, we decided to make Christmas Eve morning the time for our little family's Christmas celebration so that we could have a relaxing morning, savoring traditions.  The boys have always been in favor of this, as it definitely makes Christmas feel longer!  

When the boys are finally asleep on the 23rd (and yes, it takes just as long for them to settle down as if it were true Christmas Eve), the stockings get filled, presents are put under the tree, and a wrapped book goes on the foot of each bed. 

In the morning, while the boys are watching their clocks for 7:00, they rip open their books and settle right into reading.  Mark and I stay real quiet, listening to hear if they thought the books were perfect matches like we were hoping.

Then it is off to the stockings.  What a gift it is to watch these boys and the simplicity of their Christmas joy!  Last night, they were all discussing what would be in their stockings.  Their guesses were pretty close, as they seem to hope for the same things year after year: a baggy of goldfish crackers, a punching balloon, and some candy.  This year we added some milk-flavoring straws that they had been eyeing at the grocery store (and have since declared are weird-tasting) and their much-requested parachute army guys. 

Breakfast follows, which traditionally is scrambled eggs, sausage, and cinnamon rolls.  Mark reads the Christmas story, we do our advent wreath, clean up, and are then off to gifts.

 Eli used his Box Top for Education points at his school store to buy his brothers' gifts - so sweet.



Crayons, a kazoo, and a lead pencil brought big big big smiles.  In fact, Toby has declared the pencil his most favorite gift. 

Eli's favorite gift was his much-anticipated K'Nex.  (Ish's favorite gift was a bike horn.  Look out, town!)

 The men of the house had one big present to open together...

 Nerf guns all around!  Not sure which boy liked it more. 

The younger two can't quite cock their guns, but Daddy happily keeps cocking three times for every one shot he himself gets to make. Many darts around here, many chats about gun safety, many conscientious, giggling boys.

Tonight we'll eat our traditional pasta and salad, get spiffed up a little, record our Christmas verse for you all to enjoy tomorrow, and head to church to celebrate Jesus (and hopefully not cause any trouble during the candlelighting). 

And that's how the indiansandpirates do Christmas!