Christmas 2014

How sad that it is March and I am barely posting Christmas.  Seeing as it is not my favorite holiday I was reluctant to post my pathetic documentation of the day(s).  

We had Christmas Eve with my family and to say it was the single most chaotic night of my life would still be correct three months later.  I don't know why the kids in my side of the family find the need to yell and scream and fight over who is the center of attention all the time but they do.  All of them.  I feel like whenever we are there I am constantly telling my kids to quit this or stop that and to please stop yelling.  They don't act like that at home or really anywhere else but at my mom's house, it is bad.  Needless to say my mom was nearly in tears after she had worked all day long to have a nice dinner ready, and create the perfect stage to act out the nativity.  The kids didn't cooperate at all, actually the little kids were great it was the older four or five that were horrid.  I think my parents probably had a long discussion that night about how their children were failing in our parenting.  (And with good reason)

After acting out the nativity, Grammy gave all the kids their pajamas and sent us out the door.  She later admitted that after the last person left she let out a huge sigh of relief.  (And then probably spent the next five hours trying to put her house back together) 

We told the kids that they couldn't get up before 6:30 and Cole was in my bed at six, he tossed and turned until 6:30 when we finally let him wake up the other kids.  It was a great morning and the kids were so excited.  As far as gifts, we did a lot less this year and it felt really good.  The kids each got one fun thing and then a few things they needed.  I was worried they would be disappointed but they didn't seem to be. For the first time since I have had kids I didn't feel sick to my stomach that I had done too much after all the gifts were opened.  I really hope to repeat that every year from here on out. 

After taking our time doing our own thing Christmas morning we ventured over to G&G Crapo's where everyone was having a great breakfast.  That whole family was headed skiing for the day but we stole Libbie and headed out to my mom's for some more chaos! Just kidding it was so bad Christmas day.  The kids were so cute together and we just hung out.