so this is Christmas...

Wii, even daddy likes to play.....bowling, anyway... It seems pretty obvious what they're doing in this picture, wrapping the cat.

We didn't start opening presents until well after 10:00. The little kids of course were so excited. Jonathan with his new Thomas train.

Evelyn, Mirielle, and Sonja

Wow, Suze!

Suzanne wants to try this, now!

Sonja







Evelyn and Mirielle

Margaret got a camera....









Daddy was the Santa Claus, passing them all out.

Samuel got a new air-soft gun, some nerf guns, and remote control helicopters. But his favorite gift seemed to be the Scorchers, really hot candies from the dollar store.

Dolls from around the world. (I got them last year after Christmas for 75% off, but Evelyn doesn't know that)

Camille with Emily

Charlotte Claire

Mali with her bear, Suzanne, and Camille

Margaret

Aaron got a camera, too.

Camille had no idea what was going on.

It wasn't as chaotic as it looks.




















No way was Charlotte Claire going to let Camille got on her presents....

The kids just sat in their spots, mostly, and daddy passed out the presents.

Charlotte Claire got a great present from Emily, the "Totoro" movie. Japanese animae, she loves it.....Emily kept telling her she would get it for Christmas, and she was just thrilled when she opened it. (they are watching it now)
























Camille got a baby that cries and laughs....

Jon was a bit overstimulated.

Camille

Oh, just what I always wanted. One thing I like to do: after I buy something for someone, I point it out to them in the store, or online, and say how cool it is......so when they get it, .....

Camille got a new ride-on...






























So, after all the unwrapping, we had brunch. Emily made home-made cinnamon swirl bread, then sliced it up last night and refridgerated it with the egg mixture, and made baked french bread this morning. And bacon, fruit, and scrambled eggs. We sat for quite a while.

After brunch, Camille went in for her nap, and I sat down and put these pictures up. It has been a great day. Paul has spent the last hour fixing the treadmill, there was a scarf caught in the motor. Oops. Thankfully, he isn't the grumpy type. Or rather thankfully he doesn't give in to grumpy tendencies. I got two new table lamps, and a tall lamp. It is sort of a joke around here how the lamps get broken. Not cracked or smashed, just knocked into enough that the shades are on crooked.....so daddy got me some new ones. The movie is over, and the dinner has to be started. My girls are spoiling me, they made pumpkin pies yesterday for today....and this place is a MESS! Toys, wrapping paper.....oh, the joys of Christmas! And I haven't been doing my work properly for days, it is niggling at me that we need some laundry done, but I keep ignoring the niggles. I will pay for it one of these days, but hey, it is Christmas!!! So Merry Chrismas, again......!