Christmas

I'm behind and one of my commitments for 2012 is to get organized and that includes keeping the blog up to date. So I have a post or two to catch up and then my goal is to stay up to date!

Christmas Eve in Nova Scotia is much more laid back and subdued than back home in Newfoundland. We woke up in the morning (after a late night of gift wrapping, cleaning and gift sorting) and spent the morning in jammies eating buttermilk pancakes shaped like snowmen, reindeer and elves and played with the kids. Austin sang Christmas carols (he wouldn't let anyone join in) and was beyond excited about Santa. We were making some Christmas cookies when he received a special email from Santa. That pretty much did him in...I think he floated on pure excitement and Christmas Spirit all day. In the afternoon we delivered gifts and then went to the early mass.

After mass, Austin opened his first Christmas gift.

No Christmas is complete without new jammies! Austin was showing Amelia all the presents under the tree and explaining to her that Santa was going to come and bring her things to play with and it would be pretty cool. We checked the Santa tracker, he set out milk and cookies and was in bed by 8:30. It took him no time to go to sleep, he woke only once and I had to head him off at the pass to make sure he didn't see Santa's elves at work.



The quiet moment after the elves are done



Christmas morning was absolutely magical. Austin was so excited that the air was electric with Christmas spirit. We woke Austin up around 7:30 and he was so excited to find out if Santa ate the cookies that he left for him. He raced down the stairs and saw the train table and was beyond excited. Hand covering his mouth, he kept saying "I can't believe it!" He tore into his gifts and helped Amelia open hers. At first, she was much more interested in eating the wrapping paper but once a gift was open she'd get so excited!



Amelia's first gift from Santa. Rattle and Shake Pooh...she loves him!



This paper is delicious!!!



humm what could this be?

 

"Don't tell what it is!!!"

And then there was the gift of the year. I kept telling G that he wasn't getting anything that he had asked for but that he was going to be a very happy man on Christmas morning. I took Amelia from him and told Austin to climb into Daddy's lap to open a gift....I think the expressions on their faces say it all...Mommy is bi-winning!



Amelia's first Christmas was wonderful. There was a blanket of fresh snow and a relaxed morning shared with family back home thanks to Skype. I can't wait until next year to do it all again. Austin is so into Christmas, so much so that we're still singing Rudolph on January 4 and next time Amelia will be older and will be able to compete with Austin for some of that gift opening action!