The last calm Christmas?

Sawyer understands parts of Christmas, but some of the details of what's supposed to happen were a little lost on him. We'd been reading Christmas books all month, and he's visited Santa a few times. But we really had to explain some of the ins and outs of Christmas Eve this year.

After we got home from my parents' house, he played with new toys and ate dinner. Just before bedtime, we told him that we needed to put out the reindeer food we made at his birthday party and leave out cookies and milk for Santa. Of course, he wanted to know WHY we were doing these things? He was very concerned that Santa would get burned in the fireplace, but we assured him that there would be no fire when he came.

We went outside to sprinkle the reindeer food on the lawn, and he dumped it in one big pile and wanted to know why the reindeer would be hungry?

We read a few Christmas books and then it was off to bed.



While we were brushing teeth and putting pajamas on, Sawyer kept asking, "Have they come yet?" I told him Santa would NOT come if he was still awake. He'd better get to sleep quickly so Santa could bring his presents.




Santa came!

Ray and I debated whether he'd be up early wanting to open presents, but he slept till about 10 a.m., way later than usual.

Ray built a fire, and I got my camera all set up to capture him coming down the stairs. I think he was most entranced by the fire, not the gifts under the tree.

He was now very concerned that Santa was going to get burned, but we told him Santa had already come ... and to look at the presents he left. We showed him the eaten cookies and milk and read him the letter Santa had left him.

Finally we got him to show some interest in his presents. He played with the unwrapped ones from Santa, but when he came time to open his others, he couldn't have cared less about them.




The infamous green dump truck he asked Santa for was in his stocking. 


Learning how to use the Sit n' Spin

He opened some trains and was done. We truly had to beg, plead and practically force to finish opening them. He'd play with something for one minute and then go back to the trains.


Trains from Grandmother and Pops


A Thomas drawing board


A magician's hat and magic wand ... lots of Abracadabras going on here.


A new Grasshoppers hat and shirt


A talking airplane with pilot and luggage train

After we were finally done, he and Ray went outside to see if the reindeer food had been eaten. We had a nice big breakfast and spent the rest of the day playing with new toys before I had to go to work.




Faster and faster on the Sit 'n Spin

He and Ray met me and two friends from work at a Chinese restaurant for dinner ... the only place we could find open. It was busy and very fitting for Christmas dinner, thanks to one of my favorite holiday movies. (Fah-rah-rah-rah-rah)

It was a very nice Christmas, but we're wondering if it's the last one that we don't get woken up at the crack of dawn. Happy Christmas to all!


The aftermath