Christmas Day, 2019.

There was a quote floating around on social media this past week that has stuck with me: “One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” I mean — is that not the truest of truths?

I feel like I really tried to soak in all that Christmas offered us this year. We stuck to a budget as best we could, tried not to overwhelm the kids with a ton of toys and really considered each purchase. We started celebrating with our Christmas Eve Open House where family and Santa joined us. Before bedtime, we opened up their Christmas Eve box (jammies, bathrobe and Magic Reindeer food to help the reindeers find our house)! We got bundled up and sprinkled the reindeer food in our yard and then went to sleep.

Christmas morning, Eva woke up at 5, Javi at 6 and we woke up Lola at 6:30 (or else she would have slept until about 8) and Javi couldn’t be contained any longer. They each got 7 gifts from us, plus a class (basketball + ballet). It will be remembered as the Christmas that Javi wanted a treasure box and Lola got a doll. Both kids were obsessed with the movie Frozen and most of their gifts had something to do with the movie. Lola actually hyperventilated when she opened an “Anna” doll and Javi was OVER THE MOON when he saw that Santa had given him an “Elsa” dress made of tulle — “HE ‘KNOWED’ WHAT I WANTED!” 🙂

Once they played and played and played some more, we got ready — no one argued with me over their “fancy” clothes I wanted them in (although I warned them two days prior that over the next two days I was picking out their clothes!), and we arrived at my parent’s house at 11:59AM when we said we’d arrive at noon.

We opened more presents, Lola and Eva took naps, Javi played with EVERYTHING and “helped” every single person open their presents, too. We had to keep slowing him down 🙂

It was such a wonderful day and while I don’t want to rush the year away (Javi is already asking how many more sleeps until Christmas comes again) — I also can’t wait to do it again with a 1 year old Eva! 🙂