Christmas Morning!

The kids all slept together and we told them not to wake us up until 7. At EXACTLY 7:00 they were all on our bed. Then it was time to tear down the wrapping-papered door. It's hard to explain how excited everyone was!

Kellyn entered and immediately walked right to her kitchen. I'm pretty proud of that bugger because I built it by myself. Yea yea, I know most people put things together but I usually put that in Brooks' department (since I HATE instruction manuals). I kept the kitchen building in my department this time because poor Brooksie was laid out on the couch w/ strep (chills/fever, you name it) and fell asleep on Christmas Eve at 8:30 during our story reading. So with that LONG explanation, PLEASE admire my kitchen-building skills.

Aleeya was THRILLED that Santa remembered she wanted rings and a necklace with her name on it.  (She is my squeal-er.....she was squealing with excitement at everything! I love that)

Kellyn loved everything (yes, my girls pick to sleep in swimsuits) in her stocking. She sat there and just kept shoveling her treats in her mouth.

THEN, while the other girls were distracted by their dollhouse, she would eat THEIR stocking treats. Kellyn is EXTREMELY resourceful....and sneaky.....and quiet......she's like a stealth ninja.

The boys showing off their Lego figures from their stockings. Star Wars/Ninja Turtles for Camden.

Ninjago Lego dudes for Emerson (here is is donning his Chima Lego hoodie that he "reeeeeeeeeeally wanted"). This kid was SERIOUSLY a happy kid this Christmas.

NOTHING quite beats this kid's excitement though. Check this out, his OWN red Spiderman suit and  black Spiderman suit. He so excited he can't even SEE out of his eyes with his smile so big.

Turns out the black Spiderman outfit is sliiiiiightly see-through......courtesy of Spiderman's mom buying something off ebay.....from China.

Iris was just happily playing with her dollhouse and Barbies that this is actually the only picture I HAVE of her from Christmas morning!!!!!

My boys REEEEEALLY LOVE remote controlled stuff.....ESPECIALLY Bronson. Each of the older boys got a remote controlled helicopter. I RARELY get his big smile on camera, so this is CLEARLY a happy moment.

The helicopters entertained ALL my boys though. :)

(for the WHOLE Christmas break actually!)

Now that Brooks slept off the majority of his sickness, I put him to work to building Royce's motorcycle. We can NEVER have enough cars to race down our driveway on!

Well maaaaaaaaaaybe he isn't completely healed, because he put the wheels ON WRONG!!!!! 

You can't take them off either without breaking it, so every once and a while the gray things just slide on the ground with the wheels. This is the face he gives me when I mention to him his error.

I love the after-present-opening time too......the time everyone disperses and just plays with their things. The boys got all their Lego creations built with all their new Lego guys and wanted a picture taken.

I couldn't stop taking pictures of Royce......everything was just SO magical and fun to him. Then again, EVERYTHING is when you are dressed as Spiderman.

Everly clearly has a good Christmas too. Nothing makes a 8 month old happier then bibs and necklaces.

Two things that Santa never forgets (knock on wood) to put in all our stockings is silly string and mangoes.

So outside we go for our usual silly string war. It was a pretty nice day.....or at least nice enough for Kellyn to be out in a diaper and Aleeya in her swimsuit.

Brooks also said he wanted to build the Double Shot on Christmas Day instead of having it all set up the morning of. I let him totally make that call since my building skills don't go past plastic kitchens. I'm glad we did it that way though because the kids were still so excited about it, but played with all their other toys all morning and day. Then that evening Brooks and Camden went to building the Double Shot. 

I chose NOT to say it out loud, but inside I was hoping it turned out a little better then the plastic motorcycle.....

After they finished the (HUGE!!!) Double Shot ALL OF US couldn't stop playing on it.

It was like Christmas lasted all day by slowly building things! haha.
This Double Shot in the boys' room has had hours and hours played on it already.

It really felt like a perfect Christmas to me. I got all the reactions out of the kids I wanted and the excitement was over-the-top......I love that.

So yes, a perfect day......except for those two hiccups.....
you know, when Royce lost it because he used all his silly string BEFORE the battle so didn't have one?

And when Iris got an Elsa barbie (the only thing she asked for from Santa) and Aleeya got the Anna one even though SHE "was Elsa for Halloween and should've gotten the Elsa one"...... this all explained to us through sobs.

But "hiccups" make life fun and exciting.

SUCH a Merry Christmas anyway.