Christmas!

Happy New Year blog friends!  I know you want to read another Christmas post today, right?  Well I am just the person to treat you to it.  ;)

This was obviously the best Christmas yet.  Blakely definitely "got it" this year although she was a little nervous about the idea of Santa coming into our house in the middle of the night.  I had to reassure her that he wouldn't come downstairs about 20 times.  

I didn't do the Christmas Countdown this year like I have in the past.  We were gone to Alabama and then a few days after getting home from there we left for Vegas...more on that later.  I knew we couldn't smash it all in and I wanted to try and have a relaxed holiday.  Plus I am pregnant and tired.  So yeah.  The poor child didn't even get a picture with Santa this year.  That's okay, right??  It's just going to have to be because she totally didn't care.  

We did do a few Christmas activities like paint ornaments for each family member and bake and decorate cookies.  I let her open her Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve and we did have an elf this year.  He was super lazy but she liked finding him each morning and she named hime Gio.  No idea where she came up with that.  Painting the ornaments was definitely her favorite.  When we were leaving the house to go to my Grand's house on Christmas Eve she suddenly said, "Mom!  We have to take the ornaments so everyone can put them on their tree tonight!".  Well that was a good idea so we did.  She was very proud of them and handed out each one with care.  

We spent Christmas Eve with my family and Lonnie's mom came as well.  We have dinner and just spend time together with no presents.  Well, I say no presents but every single one of them got Blakely something.  She is the only child in the family so they spoil the heck out of her.  We came home with three bags full of stuff.  My cousin Jan took Blakely outside to try and find Rudolph just like she did with me and my brother when we were kids.  It was a great night.  

Christmas morning is spent with just the three of us.  Blakely dug into her Santa stuff and then had ZERO interest in opening presents from me and Lonnie.  I didn't want to force her because she was playing and having so much fun with her new stuff.  But we were on a time crunch because we had to get to my mom's to open with her before the whole family got there at 1130.  I decided to scrap opening our presents until later that night.  I've decided that next year my mom will just spend the night with us and that will cut out us being rushed to her house to open.  We can just do it here!  

Is this all for me??

Anyway.  We didn't really get Blakely one big item this year like in year's past.  I thought about getting her a bike but we really don't have a place to ride it and Lonnie just wasn't on board.  The only this she kept asking for was babies and diapers.  So that was pretty easy.  Santa brought a new Elsa dress (the other one was disgusting and in shreds basically), an Anna dress, a super hero cape, a train set, some makeup, a jewelry box, a damn unicorn (thank you Santa Jenni!), and a new baby and diapers, of course.  He also threw some new panties and socks in her stocking.  

She loves all of it and has hardly taken the Elsa dress off.  This is totally off the subject but let me just tell you about dress up clothes for a minute.  There is a HUGE difference in a "dress up dress" and a "princess costume".  This is important!  First of all a dedicated dress up dress is more expensive.  BUT OMG WORTH IT.  They are machine washable, not itchy and don't shred the first time you accidentally step on Elsa's train.  We have a couple of both and the costumes are gross.  You can't just throw them in the washing machine.  You are expected to spot clean them...well ha!  This mama is not a "spot cleaner".  They are made to be worn one singular time and if you have a princess obsessed daughter like me well that is a total joke.  She eats in them, takes a nap in them and occasionally wears them to the store when I am feeling super generous.  All of this to say that Santa brought Blakely an Elsa dress up dress to replace her Elsa costume.  The Anna dress is a costume and the top has already ripped from the skirt and I sewed it back up.  I knew I should have bitten the bullet and bought the Anna dress too but I wasn't thinking.  Just a word to the wise.  Now, if you can convince your child to be careful while in her dresses and to not wear them while eating, jumping on the trampoline, doing cartwheels, and wrestling with Daddy on the floor well then go for the costumes.  (We have these and these and both are great)

Okay...back on track.  After letting her play for a while we headed over to my mom's.  She got Blakely a bunch of fun stuff.  A few new games, some kinetic sand, babies and accessories and all of the PA.W Patrol pups with their vehicles and the tower.  She was so happy to just play by herself while we opened our presents.  

Then everyone else showed up and we had brunch and then opened presents.  We draw names every year which I like but I get everyone a couple of things from Blakely (a picture and a calendar with lots of pictures of her).  It was a great day after that of being lazy, snacking and playing with Blakely's new toys.  By the time we ate I was completely worn out.  I didn't get much sleep due to playing Santa and finishing up the wrapping.  Then I had to load up all of our presents to take to mom's and make sausage balls for the brunch.  I have about zero stamina these days so I was ready for some rest!  (Lonnie would normally help me do these things but he has severely injured his back, again, and has been out of commission.  More on that later!)  

We came home late that afternoon and Blakely passed out in the car before we even left my mom's driveway!  

I let her sleep in the car for a little bit and then we came in and opened our presents together just the three of us.  We mainly got Blakely some craft sets but my Dad got her Ma.gna T.iles and they are a huge hit.  She has played with them almost non stop.  We all got wonderful gifts and are so so lucky to have such great family.  Christmas was wonderful and I look forward to next year with two more littles in the mix!