These are the holidays I need to make the most of, because every child of mine who is old enough to care about Santa Claus, believes in Santa Claus. So we went all out, ashes from the chimney on the floor and all that jazz. They bought it, it was swell.
In the teens of December I went through the kids playroom and bedrooms and organized their toys. A pile for garbage, a pile for goodwill/salvation army, a pile for friends. I was able to kick out about half the toys, and it felt so good.
The kids got 6 gifts each, I believe, 1 from both sets of grandparents, 1 from me, one from Nick, one from Santa, and one from their godparents. Still, with 4 kids, one of whom will not rip her wrapping paper, and another who is 8 months old, it took us awhile to open everything. Surprisingly, no tantrums were thrown.
Nick and I were dog piled at 6am, by children who I suspect were up at 4, and we started opening gifts around 7. With a break for a proper breakfast at 8, we didn't finish unwrapping gifts until noon, at which point I fed the kids some of the test turkey I'd made a few days earlier, and mashed potatoes. Heavy stuff. They were all asleep by 1. I had a few hours to get the house cleaned up and set out the kids outfits, and when they woke up at 3 I was ready to throw them in the shower. Literally, I put the three oldest ones in my shower with the radio on, and I gave the baby a sponge bath. Because I cannot have my children running around on Christmas with turkey in their neck folds.
We put the kids in their Christmas best, threw on their pretty shoes, and put all but Viv in the playroom. Viv got to chill in her highchair for a bit as Nick and I got the dishes ready. And then I blinked and it was 4 and my house had 38 friends and relatives in it and I didn't have to watch my children because everyone else was absolutely enamoured with them.
Viv took a nap at 6, in various persons arms, and woke up at 9 ready to party. She was up until 12:45, when she fell asleep on my sleeping dad. Pippa played until 10, then attached herself to Nick, leaning on him and being affectionate and adorable in general before he gave in and took her upstairs. She fell asleep before he made it to the top step, and didn't wake up while he changed her into her pj's or put her to bed. Sera fell asleep playing Hide&Seek, we thought she was asleep in her bed until we went to turn off the lights and go upstairs after the party ended, and she rolled out from underneath the tree. Surprise! Theo walked around to everyone in the house and gave goodnight wishes before putting himself to bed at 10:20. Good boy.
As for Nick and I, we said goodnight to the last visitor at 2am, and he cleaned until 3 while I showed our overnight guests their rooms and sofas. I'm pretty sure I went to bed at 4. The kids slept until noon, except Viv, who woke up for a bottle at 8 and was entertained by my MIL until she fell asleep at 10.
Basically, Christmas 2010 rocked our socks off. And we are tired.
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