Preparing for Santa

With the littlest members of our family now old enough to understand some of this Christmas craziness, the holiday was extra exciting this year. My parents, my little sister, my 11 year old niece and their 12 year old dog all crammed in the car Griswold-style for the 700 mile trek down here to celebrate with us again. Much to everyone's relief, they rolled into town with their sanity (mostly) intact and without a dead grandma strapped to the roof of the vehicle. Good start to the festivities!

Since they clearly didn't spend enough time in the car to drive each other to total madness on the trip down here we decided we should pack them all in the car again the next day to see if we could accomplish that feat while driving all over Tampa. They took the kids to the mall and ice skating, and ended the day at the beach. We arrived right at sunset and it was a beautiful ending to the day. 

RYLEE AND LIBBY

MY MOM AND DAD 

JOJO WITH JACK FROLICKING BEHIND HER 

COLE AND I (HE ALWAYS LOOKS SCARED WITH COMPANY AROUND)

MY BEAUTIFUL MOM AND BEAUTIFUL-ER SISTER

Having my little sister here is amazing. Seriously, it's like getting a nanny and a personal chef for the week. I would totally hire her full time if I could, and not just because she let's me abuse her and order her around. With endless patience and energy to boot she is the best Aunt ever and my kids just adore her (and show it by ripping her limb from limb fighting over her attention). She also did all the holiday cooking which freed me up to focus on the kids and all the rest of the Christmas preparations. I love Aunt Keri. 

Christmas Eve was busy with anticipation. We kicked off the morning by flash mobbing our friends with pajama'd Christmas Carols and baked goodies. We showed up on the doorsteps early in the AM, knocked incessantly, sang a quick "We wish you a Merry Christmas", threw a bag of goodies to them and ran for the car. The kids loved doing this and my older two totally ate up the looks of shock and confusion they left on our friends faces. 

OUR MINI FLASH MOB

Then it was off to Church! Getting everyone ready and out the door was a blur and I don't know how we ended up getting there on time. But we did and here's a cute picture of the little girls playing in the Church yard in their Christmas-y best to prove it.

JAYKEE AND JOJO

Coming home from church was the Christmas low for my oldest boy Jack. They made and decorated gingerbread men at the Birthday party for Jesus and apparently I fed his (and the special one he made for Daddy) to the three hungry little mouths screaming at me on the way home from church. Woops! That'll learn him to not make a special one for Mommy!

All was right with the world again once mommy cut the head off a gingerbread snowman and told him it was a gingerbread Angry Bird that he could decorate for Daddy instead. He was thrilled with the bribe. 

After a delicious Christmas Eve Dinner (courtesy of Aunt Keri and my awesome Husband) we let the kids exchange gifts with each other on Christmas Eve in what we call "Kid's Christmas". Christmas Eve moved at a slower pace then Christmas morning so spending this time exchanging the gifts that they picked out for each other is a bit more meaningful then having them thrown in with all the craziness of Santa gifts the next day. This year the little kids got to participate and it was so fun watching them all exchange their gifts for the first time.

RYLEE

 JOJO

JACK AND COLE

JAYKEE

 LIBBY

JACK AND JOJO

After baking cookies for Santa we went outside to spread the magical reindeer food. Since I figured the little kids are pro's at grabbing fistfuls of food and throwing it all over the place, they'd love being allowed to do it all over the yard. Apparently when they are allowed to do it it loses some of it's appeal and all of a sudden all they want to do is eat it. If only that concept worked at the kitchen table...

Then quickly up to bed to listen for the sound of rudolph's bells!