Christmas Report

We are going to Idaho on Christmas Day (plane tickets cheaper that day) so Santa visited us a day early.  It was a little weird to have our traditional Christmas Eve activities (reading the Christmas story from the Bible, opening pajamas, opening a new game and books) on the 23rd, but it worked.

The girls are posing with their pajama bags.  They made these bags a few years ago and we use them for new Christmas pajamas.

Our new family game,  Table Air Hockey, was a great hit. Our elf, Hermy Joe, gave it to us as a Christmas Eve present and a goodbye gift.  He traveled to the North Pole with Santa on Christmas Eve and will be back next year to watch our behavior.  We all hope to remain on the nice list for another year at least:)

Putting the "magic key" on the door so Santa can enter because we don't have a chimney.  

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Just what she wanted:
Just what she wanted and she played it most of the day.

Thanks Jean for the warm, fuzzy panda blanket.

Thanks Shellie for the art projects.  They were a big hit!

Thanks cousin Tena for selling Discovery Toys.  The marble thingy was yet another big hit.  I had fun with it too.
Thanks Uncle Ted and Aunt Mellisa for the fun Twister with a Twist game.  It produced a lot of giggles.

My favorite gift this year was an umbrella given to me by my girls.  Why is it special?  Well, often I walk my students to the buses in the rain.  Rachel walks with me.  She doesn't like walking in the rain and often questions why other teachers have umbrellas and we don't.  I tell her I don't mind getting wet and a true Washingtonian doesn't need an umbrella.  She thought otherwise.  She has been planning and saving her money for this gift for months.  She wanted to contact one of my friends to take her shopping.  She sent her an email and we arranged a shopping trip. 

The umbrella has been wrapped and under the tree for a couple of weeks and it has been driving Rachel crazy.  Several times she has wanted me to open it.  A few days before Christmas, she couldn't sleep because she was so excited for Christmas.  She wasn't excited for Santa or her own gifts, she was excited to give me a gift.  This is the first Christmas that she has been so excited to GIVE a gift.  YEAH!  Maybe she is finally understanding that the joy of giving is much more exciting than the joy of receiving.

On Christmas morning, she doesn't want to open her presents.  She doesn't want to see her stocking.  She wants me to open my present first.  I'm not kidding.  My normally self-centered child seriously wanted me to see my present and was so excited to give it to me.

I will use my umbrella every day it rains and maybe even on sunny days.  I love my umbrella.  I love what it represents.  This Washingtonian will use her umbrella every chance she gets.  Bring on the rain!!!