Reid's First Christmas: Visiting Grandparents

After all the rushing Christmas morning, we finally arrived at Granny's for some oyster stew, breakfast casserole, and good conversation.

Snuggle buds

Somebody loves Uncle Brandon

Hadley had everyone's attention. She is just such a friendly little girl.

It wasn't long though before the grown-ups were anxious for the kids to open their presents. They have just as much fun watching as the kids do opening I believe.

Aunt Julie is so thoughtful. She got Caleb this dog that hunts for its bone.
 My Aunt Beth also brought presents for the kids. Those two just can't help spoiling these little ones! 

"Thank you for my oven mitt and miniature bakery set."

Reid slept through this portion of the day. (Suprise, surprise, right?)

A Christmas Thomas set from Granny!

The Bubble Guppy Rock-N-Roll stage! (Somebody's Granny has been paying attention to what this girl loves.)

We went home after our trip to Granny's for the kids to nap and so I could make a green bean casserole and crab dip to take out to Mom's. We took off some of their fancy Christmas outfits to get a little more comfortable, and then out the door we went again. 

Food came first, of course, and then more present opening commenced. My parents limited it to two toys per kid this year, but it still took us quite a while to open everyone's presents. Thankfully, as this point in the day, we didn't feel rushed for the most part, which allowed us to slow down and watch their faces. We also could let them take time to open and play with their toys as they went.

Courtney can come up with some creative ideas. I never would have thought of a Furby, but Caleb loved it.

Dave calls it an owl, so Caleb has followed suit. No matter how hard I try to convince them that owls don't have tails and big ears like this creature, their minds are set. Those two crack me up!

Daddy and his little boy

Trying to help Reid tear into his present from Aunt Courtney

Yay! ... Keep watching...This fits with another gift from NaNa and Pop that will make an appearance later in this post.

Now Pop has someone to take hunting.

Show 'em how to do it, Uncle Brandon.
(We teased Brandon that he was going to be jealous of this gift because he told us one time a while back that when he was a kid no one would buy him a toy gun so he had to make believe with sticks.)

A hunting we will go!

Don't forget the cowboy hat....Uh-oh, Furby! Watch Out!

Coffee, tea, or toast, anyone?

Now that she has the appliances...

...it only seems fitting to have the kitchen to put them in.

Another book for the man with three children under four who has no time to read - the irony!
He was happy nonetheless, receiving exactly the ones he asked for plus some. :)

A few surprises

Dave wanted to know why his stocking was filled with things to make him smell better. Mom, what are you trying to say?

As I mentioned in a previous post, my dad is known for giving the kids popcorn when they come to visit while they watch TV together. He did it with my cousins, and now he is enjoying the same tradition with his grandkids. I found these popcorn buckets you could personalize in a magazine and thought they were perfect for him - a big one with his name and little ones for each of the kids.

Get to work, Brandon.

Reid, you are sleeping through Christmas! Even this fun cash register toy didn't get this boy excited.

Caleb was excited enough for the both of them I guess because he got his very own LeapPad. 

He loves my mom's and sister's iPads, but we didn't think he was quite old enough for such a toy. My cousin Addie suggested this option and so far it's been a good fit.

Reid's big present was a pick-up truck to use when the weather warms-up and he gets a little bigger. He doesn't have a spring birthday like his siblings, so NaNa and Pop got him his outdoor toy a little early.

P.S. I love his face in this picture. It looks like he is really shocked. 

Hadley was the one who really enjoyed Reid's present. The rest of the evening she was glued to it.

Little redneck woman?

Reid was happier to sit on Grandma's lap.

His loved her talking to him and cooed right back.

Grandma also tried to snuggle his big brother, who was immersed in his new toy.

Every year mom buys the kids their own ornaments and this year it was one of the last things we opened. Caleb got a train; Reid, a red wagon; and Hadley this miniature kitchen.

Once we got home that evening, we were beat. The two little ones fell asleep in the car but Caleb needed some snacks. Right before it was time to wrap up everything and send him up the stairs to crawl in bed too, I glanced over at the Little People Nativity set and realized that in the busyness of the day, we hadn't taken the time to do the story of Christ's birth yet. The kids had been playing with it for weeks (actually even fighting over it at times, with which I wasn't sure whether to be exasperated or pleased). I even ordered the wiseman and shepherd sets that we didn't have in past years to add a few more details to the scene. We'd talked about the story over and over lately, but that day of all days we couldn't forget to reflect on it again.

I pulled the set out and let Caleb do the story telling this time. Dave told me weeks ago that his goal for Christmas this year was that, when it was all said and done, Caleb could tell him it was about Jesus' birth. Our three-year-old picked up quite a bit more than just that though, retelling a good portion of the story with me as we went through the scene together.

We never finished opening Reid's presents that evening, but the next day, when things were less chaotic, I got some more good shots of him opening his first Christmas gifts from us and even got to open my own present from Dave and the kids that was still sitting under the tree.

Dave bought Caleb a blue camping chair when he was Hadley's age, and now these two cuties have their own chairs too. 

A Roomba vacuum! Just what this busy Mommy needed, especially with kids who are making messes quicker than I can clean them up! WOOHOO!

It was a tiring day, but it was also full of lots of priceless moments. I'm looking forward to next year, when Reid will be another year older and they'll all be excited. We might have to work out some logistical plans for helping things run smoother, but live and learn.