Christmas: Chaotic but Joyful

Every year, I try.  I swear.  I really do try to take decent pictures of the kids opening their presents on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.  But every year, it's pathetic and I fail miserably.  Here are few to prove my point.

Honestly, I cannot even figure out what the heck setting to have the camera on to take a halfway decent photo of the tree.  It looks like "CIA Tree" here -- all shadowy and hiding-out-like.  Weird. 

Oh well.  Really, it's not nearly so spooky.

The calm before the storm.

Truth be told here, I have to admit that the kids behaved much better this year.  They seem to understand that Mom and Dad cannot stand Christmas-Present-Opening-Orgy-Behavoir, and they were much better about taking their time and actually LOOKING at what they had opened before asking, "can I open ANOTHER one????" 

So, I try to have the kids look at me and smile and this is what I get. 

That crazed, kooky look from one and the other one just flat out ignores me.

  Oh, she'll smile sweetly for you, but you have to be willing to wait for it.

'Cause it's only going to happen on HER terms.  (And once she is sporting a new necklace from big sister).

Mostly, I got this.  One things for sure, they were absorbed.  Girls with work to do.

And interestingly, they were happy to help each other open, with the caveat:  "You're gonna share this with me, right?  Right???? You will?  Right?"

In any case, we are done with "I wonder what's in THIS one???" until next year. 

And my response to, "Do you think Santa will come again tonight??  By accident?" is that Santa may sometimes make mistakes, but I know -- he is NOT coming back until next year. 

Santa needs, and deserves, some down time.

:)