Christmas Morning

Christmas morning. Santa made it clear which presents were for whom.

 Isabella got a stocking full of art supplies.

Matthew got an "I Owe You" letter from Santa. (Read by Isabella.)

Apparently there was a backlog of orders this year at the North Pole.

 Isabella got a Magic Fairy cookie making kit (the dough! turns! pink! when water is added).

and

 Squigez - clever little rubber suction things that stick anywhere and pop when you pull them apart (also good for developing fine motor skills--man, that Santa knows just what Isabella needs!)

Matthew got a box of hardware: locks, light switch covers, the boingy things that prevent a door from slamming into the wall...
If you are thinking that Matthew got the short end of the Christmas stick on Christmas morning, you would be right. But that's the beauty of being two. (I like to think of the first two years of your child's life as forgiveness years. They'll never know how much you didn't have your act together and therefore won't hold it against you when they are 30.)

And really, Matthew was done with Christmas and ready for breakfast after about 10 minutes.
Now lest you think Santa was cruel and heartless when it came to Matthew (giving the poor boy a box of hardware?!) allow me to explain...

The hardware was to be used to make...drum roll please...

The coolest busy board ever! Now Matthew can boing the boingy things, lock and unlock locks, put a ball thorough the PVC pipe and watch it go! AND the best part was the Mark decided to actually wire the light switches to a battery pack with a little LED light. I suggested covering the battery pack with an old toy tractor. So now when Matthew flips the light switch, the tractor lights up!

My favorite gift was the fort building kit Santa found for Isabella and Matthew, who just happen to LOVE forts. Unfortunately the gift was a dud and had to be shipped back to the North Pole.

The Magic Fairy Princess made her cookies, frosted and sugared them. Heavily. I think the thing I loved most about this gift was that is was the only thing Isabella asked for in her letter to Santa. That's it. That's all she wanted. Simple. And since it was a mix, technically she only got to use it once. But she was so happy that she got what she wanted.

 We did get to actually see Santa on Christmas morning--a visit arranged by our landlords.

 The kids were a little unsure of him (and confused) in the beginning,

 but the presents helped.

Nana and Papa came a little later that morning and brought Christmas #2. (Which turned out to be bigger than Christmas #1).

It was perfect though and we ate soup and had a salad and it was low-key and lovely.

The most exciting gift, was the Disneyland ticket that Aunt Christa and Buddy and Jack gave Isabella. She has no idea what Disneyland is yet, but boy is she going to have a fun time celebrating her 6th birthday this Spring at the happiest place in California or the earth? or is it Anaheim?
 Yay! Thank you Christa, Buddy, and Jack (and baby James).