Twas Christmas

Christmas time at our house was pretty mellow this year. I have just been so tired lately that I really didn't put much effort into it.

I also didn't realize that the boys now expect certain traditions that we have started to carry on regardless of how tired I am. And honestly I am thankful that they made me follow through.

Every year on Christmas Eve, we decorate a ginger bread house. We build it that day and then they are allowed to eat it all day Christmas

 I was pretty impressed this year... they worked really hard together and I think they did a pretty good job.

Every year Steve reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in a Scottish accent. Even when Steve was over seas he would call on Christmas Eve to read the book over the phone for the boys. Again, something that they have come to expect and I love that we do it.

This year I thought of something funny that we are going to do every year.

We decided to move the tree in the middle of the night into the other room. We wanted to see what the reaction would be when they come down the stairs in the morning to find.... nothing!

However... it backfired on us when with out us knowing, James snuck down stairs in the wee hours of the morning to see if Santa really had come. Then he prepped every one to where the tree would be. Next year though... we will be better prepared to deal with little boys who seek out of their rooms...

Here is what they woke up to this year... nothing big, but a lot of fun. Santa brings a stocking full of goodies {no socks and underwear here} and their favorite cereal... the kind that mom won't buy.

{I think we need one more strand of lights for the bottom of the tree}

Here we are in the morning, the boys were told that they couldn't open presents until 6:00 in the morning... this way we - Benji got more sleep. And it actually was nice too... everyone was happy when they were awake!

Another tradition.... Santa leaves candy canes on the tree. Benji couldn't care less about presents with "candy corns" on the tree... in his reach... and able to open.

There were weapons to be had this year. Everyone got a nerf gun to shoot each other in the house, Tommy got a Darth Maul lightsaber that he has been practicing with...

And James promised not to shoot his eye out

With his Red Rider BB gun.

It was a good year. Our Christmases are not ever really big, but they are fun. We always enjoy each other and the memories that are made.

2012 will go down as the year mom was too tired to make muffins, when Benji got pink eye, and 200 nerf bullets on the floor.