Christmas Day

Are you ready for this??  Here is the run down of our Christmas day.  First a sneak peak from Christmas eve.  This is what Santa left for Allie- a new cash register which is what she had asked him for. 

 Here is a look at our tree Christmas eve night.

 Greg and I headed out to the garage to blow up this: a ball pit with slide for the girls. 

 It was on clearance at K-mart for $20.00 and I thought it might help us get through the long winter days and then it could go outside in the summer.

 It was a huge hit Christmas morning.  Allie's eyes were as wide as saucers and then she dove right in.  It only came with 50 balls and I thought that would not be enough so I bought an extra bag but we soon found out that was WAY too many balls and we put the extras away. 

She said, "this is perfect, perfect, perfect."  Can't get any better than that.

 Then Allie headed into the living room to test out her little desk and drawing board-also a huge hit.

 Finally Brailie woke up and they played together with the cash register.  Maybe this is terrible but I thought it wasn't necessary for Santa to spend extra money on a gift for Brailie since she wouldn't care and Allie would just take it away from her anyway.  She didn't seem to mind and loved playing with Allie's stuff.

 On to opening stockings.

"Mama-what's this?" (Then a quick chuck over her head and onto the next thing.)

 We had the hardest time convincing Allie to open gifts.  She was thrilled with the cash register and ball pit and didn't want any more.  I told Greg which package to give her and have her open.  It was the $7.00 guitar I had bought.  As you can see she loved it. 

 The girls wanted to play so Greg and I opened our stockings.

Nothing says I love you like Beano.

 And that is pretty much where everything went "to the dogs" as my dad would say.  I had visions of everyone sitting and taking turns opening gifts and loving each one-like it was when I was a child (however I obvisouly can't remember how it was when I was 2 but it must not have been as organized and wonderful as it was when I was older).  Pretty much Allie refused to open anything else and did so only by force.  Brai was into everything (as usual).

Here's Brailie showing off her new boots from Uncle Steve

And her new shirt from Grammy

Here is Allie's gift from Grandma Connie and Grandpa Verle (don't be offended that she looks uninterested-it was the mood of the day).

She liked this new shirt from Uncle Steve

Tractors for Allie and Brailie from Grammy.  They loved these.  After these were opened there was no real hope for anything else, she wanted to play with these and that was that.

Brai opening her gift from Grandma Connie and Grandpa Verle.  I love the booties by the way.

Brailie was a pro at ripping wrapping paper.   That is not surprising since her specialty is shredding (tissues, toilet paper, newspaper, magazines, important papers etc.)

She loves this tea set from Grammy.  Allie does too.  We play "hot chocolates" almost daily.

She figured it out quick.

Allie playing with some Barbies after all was said and done.

 Then it was time to have breakfast-also by force.  We had bacon, and cinnamon pull apart bread (healthy-no, delicous-YES).

The girls played farm which they love.

Then we went and opened the last huge present which was a wagon.  They loved playing on the box until it was assembled and they love playing in it too.

See what I mean.  Allie watched an entire movie in it the next day.

That night for Christmas dinner we had our neighbors and friends the Swalbergs over for supper.  Allie loves their girls and we just truly love all of them.  We had the traditional turkey and fixings.  I made this pie in my tart pie pan Steven bought me last year.  Cool huh?

And now to sneak in a little video or two:
This is of Allie listening to a story book Uncle Steven bought her.  She presses the button and then Uncle Steven reads her the stories.  She LOVES it.

This is Allie singing with her new guitar

Christmas Eve

I know, I know-I am behind on updates.  Better late than never.  Here are some pictures of our Christmas eve.  We read the Christmas story from a children's book "When Jesus Was Born in Bethlehem."  This was not the reverent, reflective reading that one might hope for on the night before the Saviors birth but we persevered nonetheless.  Then the girls opened their new (and matching I might add) pj's.  Then it was off to bed and bed again, and again and again for miss Allie.  I don't think she kept getting up because of excitement-just her normal tendency to stall.

Reading the story, or more like Allie insisting she be able to do it and then having us listen to goobly goop for 10 minutes before she would hand over the book.  She does know the Christmas story though which is great.

Dad helping the girls open their pj's.  Brailie was a really good present opener.

 And now for the unveiling of the Christmas pj's in typical Parsons children fashion:

'Brai, sit up"

"Perfect girls, one more time."

'Everyone hold still."

"Allie give that back to Brailie.  Brailie you can't eat the remote."

Allie, "I'm done, I don't want to do anymore."

Lovely-isn't it?

Hot Chocolate

On Monday the 20th the High School had a Christmas party.  I stayed home because I was really sick.  The only thing I wanted was 2 of my favorite comfort foods-cinnamon toast and hot chocolate.  The cinnamon toast always makes me think of winter days as a child being outside playing in the snow and then coming in and having my dad make us a slice of cinnamon toast on my moms homemade bread.  I loved my dads cinnamon toast because he always piled it with lots of sugar and just the right amount of cinnamon.  Anyway Greg took the girls to the party and then when they came home Allie saw my cup (which was now pretty much just chocolate milk) and wanted to try some hot chocolates.  Brailie being one to never pass up an opportunity to eat had to try too.  Come to think of it-maybe this is why they are now both sick. 

They LOVED it.

Forward Facing

Last Saturday- the 18th we turned Brailie around to face forward.  She looks super adorable in her new carseat she got for her birthday.  She loves it-looking out the window and seeing mom and dad and we moved Allie to sit beside her and that is super fun for both of them.  They're getting big.

Jolly Old St. Nick

Santa was at our new hardward store so we decided to take the girls.  Allie was excited and ready to tell him what she wanted for Christmas but then she froze when we got their.  I was not surprised by Brailie's reaction-she does this still sometimes when Grandpa or Grandma try and hold her.  She is just not over the stranger anxiety.

In the end Allie did fine sitting with daddy by Santa and she told him that she wanted a new cash register for Christmas. 

A few more Christmas pictures

I found a few more pictures on Greg's camera.

Family by the tree

Getting ready to help with the star

Putting on the star (which happens to be the star from Greg's childhood)

Playing around