Because Christmas was on Sunday this year, and church begins at 9:00 AM, we decided to open gifts from Santa in the morning and save everything else for the afternoon. We picked a time to go upstairs and get the kids (they all meet in Jordan's room) before bed on Christmas Eve. The timing, we thought, would be perfect. Except Scott and I slept in. We slept in on Christmas! The kids were upstairs impatiently waiting while we snoozed away. Finally, Matthew crept downstairs to take a peek, and the sound of his footsteps woke me. Thankfully, Santa's gifts were quick to unwrap, and we still made it to church on time.
Funny Story! ... On the way home from church, I challenged everyone to a race. We would see who could change out of church clothes (and hang them nicely) and back into Christmas pajamas first to unwrap our remaining gifts. Well, I have a pretty competitive family... game on! While still in the car, shoes, belts, jackets, ties, and shirts all started coming off. By the time we pulled up to the house, the kids had a pile of clothing in their laps, and were ready to race to their rooms. Scott, the driver, was at a serious disadvantage. It's hard to undress and drive at the same time.
Oh, but Scott will never lose. He surprised us all by stopping across the street and two doors down. He was out of the car and nearly to our yard before the rest of us could gather our senses (and clothing) to realize that we'd been duped. So, while our Bishop watched from his driveway, the partially clothed Dalebout children raced across the street while I picked up their droppings. Poor Matthew tried to hold up his pants with one hand, keep his miscellaneous clothing pieces in the other, and race barefoot across the ground. He dropped more than he carried, and showed his underwear more than once.
The Bishop met my eye with a questioning face. All I could say was, "I'll explain later," while I ran as fast as I could to catch up. Silly me, I still thought I could win. I made it into the family room to open presents in about a nano second, but the kids were still faster. Probably because I actually hung up my clothing nicely. AND, brought in all their stuff. Happily, Scott did not win after his "naughty" trick. The kids were like lightning!
We had a super nice day. Quiet and relaxing with just our family. We played with Christmas gifts, ate leftovers, and enjoyed each other immensely.
This year, we gave the kids suitcases -- for a trip to Italy! More on that later, but we are super excited to celebrate Christmas again in July when we get to pack those suitcases and spend 15 days together where every day is like opening a gift.
For Matthew, this was the year of the Legos. His favorite gift was the pirate ship from Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa John. For Andrew, this was the year of mind/building games. His favorite was the build an airplane kit from (again) Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa John. For Jordan, this was the year of clothes, and I'm not sure which was her favorite? For Scott, this was the year of returns. Everything he got, he exchanged, I think, except his gifts from Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa John. But now, a month later, he has everything just right. For me, this was the year of kitchenaid attachments that are going to be awesome next year when I make raviolis again. And for everyone, a favorite will always be giving away Christmas thanks to Grandma Evie and Grandpa Dick. This is the gift that will help them become Christlike as they grow, and it makes my heart happy to see them do it with excitement and gratitude.
