Mele Kalikimaka

Let's start with the Elves... Barney & Holly made every morning a little more exciting for the kids, they loved waking up to figure out where the elves were, sometimes this was NOT good, because SOMEONE (ehhem, Daddy Elf) would forget to make sure they moved, so Mama Elf would have to rush downstairs to make sure they moved before the kids got downstairs for breakfast.

Here are Barney & Holly checking out some of our Christmas cards

Here are Holly & Barney taking a camel ride

Whew, am I glad that's over!  Madi no longer believes in Santa, but still believes the Elves are moving all over our house, I'm not sure how that works, but hey, I'm going to go with it.  As long as she still believes in the magic of Christmas, I'm happy!!  Both Barney & Holly left nice notes for the kids & told them they can't wait to come back to see them next Christmas, I will just have to remember where those Elves are when Christmas comes around next year!! 

Back to the sad part about Madi & Santa...  I can't remember where we were, but she just asks me "mom, is Santa real?" I just looked at her like I just got caught stealing her last piece of candy or something - deer in headlights - that was me... my response "uh, what? psh" {yes, I know, I'm a quick thinker} apparently that wasn't a good enough response because she looks at me and says "and I want the truth" so like the Mom of the Year that I am, I said "psh, what are you talking about" and then changed the subject.  Way to go Mom, skirt the conversation & act like it never happened, I'm sure she won't ask again.  A week or two goes by & we're sitting with Rick & Sheila at Willie's.  Boston was sitting by Rick playing his DS, Madi was by me and Sheila was at the end of the table.  Boston got up, Madi moved over to sit by Rick & play the DS and then DJ walks over to talk to us.  I tell them that we're not going to go to dinner at the place we had discussed earlier that week (we were all going to dinner in a few days in KC to celebrate my mom's birthday and then to pick up Madi's Christmas gift from Santa - a piano) and Rick says, "but we're still going after the piano, right?" This is Sheila, DJ & I - mouths WIDE open and staring at each other, then we all turn to look at Madi and she is smiling from EAR to EAR.  Yep, of course she was listening.  After that she was jumping all over the place for days - "I'm getting a piano, I'm getting a piano".  She was really good about not doing it in front of Boston though.  After a couple of days, I had to figure out what we were going to do, she already had doubts about Santa and now she knew she was getting a piano - what the heck was Santa going to bring her now?!  It was just her & I one afternoon:

Me:    Madi, you asked me about Santa a couple weeks ago, do you still want to talk about it?

Mad:  Yea, is he real or what?

Me:    Well baby, it's kind of complicated.  Santa isn't just one person, he's a lot of people, so technically HE isn't real, but there are a lot of people who get to be Santa.

Mad:  You mean like the people who dress up as Santa at the stores & stuff.

Me:    Yes, them too, but you know how you found out that you were going to get a piano for Christmas?

Mad:  Yea

Me:    Well, that is Santa's gift to you & do you know how many people get to be Santa just for you?

Mad:  {She's smiling REALLY big} No, how many?

Me:   Well, Me & Daddy, but then Uncle Brian, Uncle Cody, Grandpa, Papa, Uncle Mike & Brandon.

Mad:  {SMILING STILL}

Me:    That's a lot of people who love & care about you isn't it?

Mad:  {STILL SMILING} Yes!  How are they all going to be Santa for me?

Me:    Because we need all of their help to pick up the piano, bring it to Atchison & get it in our house, all without you waking up.

Mad:  That's cool.

Me:    Yep, but you can't tell anyone about Santa, and now you get to help be Santa for Boston.

Mad:  {HUGE SMILE}  YES!

So, that's how our talk about Santa went, just hope she continues to keep the "magic" alive for Boston!  I think she will.

On to Christmas festivities.....

I have TWO pictures from Christmas!!  Like I said, Mom of the Year, here!  {Pretty sure my certificate is in the mail} My mom has some pictures from Christmas Eve at their house & Sheila has a few pictures from Christmas at our house, but I don't have any of those with me.

Christmas Eve we went to Kansas City to celebrate my brother's birthday and Christmas with my family.  The kids loved all of their gifts!  Boston hit the TMNT JACKPOT and Madi got a lot of art supplies!  They got to have Dance Party USA in the living room at my parents with their cousins, it was hilarious!!  We gave out hugs & told them we would see them in a few days then off to Kilee's we went. 

Christmas morning Madi woke up about 7, her norm, but Boston wasn't ready to get up, so Madi & I came downstairs so she could see what Santa brought for them.  She started jumping up & down when she saw her piano - LOVED it!  And I love that it came from a family friend.  I played around on it when I was her age.  After the boys finally got their butts out of bed and came downstairs we opened our gifts from Santa and then made breakfast.  My parents got to come up to watch the kids open their presents & have breakfast with us!!  Yay for not living two hours away anymore!  After breakfast the mayhem began.  The kids took turns opening presents & Boston acted as if everything he got was the best thing E.V.E.R.  He would pretend to pass out on some of the things too.

Madi in front of HER new piano!!

Grandma & Grandpa went home, we {and by we, I mean me} picked up the front room & prepared for round two or three or four? Who knows at this point!  Madi & Boston help put the rest of the gifts in piles for each person.  The piano was constantly being played by one or both of the kids.  DJ got Boston's helicopter all charged up & they flew that {I think DJ liked it more than the kids}.  Cody, Jenn, Carter, Mammo & Papa came over and we opened up MORE presents.  Boston again acted as if everything he opened was AMAZING and Carter wouldn't open presents he thought were clothes.  It was so funny.  He would unwrap a corner of the present, see that it wasn't a toy and then throw it back in his pile of gifts & pick something else.  I know we shouldn't have laughed, but we couldn't help it, the kid knew what he wanted, and it wasn't clothes!!  On to Mike & Diane's for round ?!!?!??  We had a late lunch and then home for NAPS!  We were all exhausted from all of the Christmas festivities!  After naps we headed to Shelly's for dinner {Boston ate grapes & pineapple}.  Came home, DJ & the kids built a firetruck out of lego's while I had a glass of wine {in one of the new glasses DJ got me for Christmas!!} and watched them.

Boston flying his helicopter

We are blessed!  Not because of all the gifts we received, but by all the family and friends we were able to be surrounded by this year!  We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, I know we did!!