Merry Christmas!

After months of list making, planning, researching and spending, the day has finally arrived!  There is a lull in our house and I have a few minutes to blog about how the holiday has been for us. Christmas in our house actually started over the weekend when we paid a visit to family where we got to open up our gifts - the girls were pleased with what they received- ok Leah was happy with the wrapping paper while Grace loved all of her and Leah's gifts.  I have given up trying to keep the girl's toys separate. 
Christmas Eve day was spent trying to get Grace to burn as much of her energy as possible and trying to keep her calm as well - there were a few mini tantrums, something that has been happening more often than I would like but I can't really be upset with her - especially since she has been in Christmas mode since the second week of December.  Yesterday there was sledding (both with parents and attempts on Grace's own), there was ornament making, continuous updates on the NORAD website on where Santa was, there was a viewing of now one of Grace's favourite movies 'A Christmas Story' and then finally dinner.  The tradition in our house is new PJ's, which we don't change out of until Boxing Day.  After a reading of 'The night before Christmas', it was finally bed time ( at least for the kids).  My husband and I waited until Grace was surely sleeping, something I'm sure happened as soon as we closed her door, before eating (aka putting back) Santa's cookies, drinking his milk, forging a note to the girls from him, eating (aka putting back) the carrot and apple left for the reindeer, putting out the gifts and filling the stockings.  Then it was finally bed for my husband and I.  But I couldn't sleep.  I was excited for the day to come.  I was anxious on when Grace would wake up (hopefully after the tree was lit and music was playing) and I wondered if everyone would like their gifts.  So I napped off and on throughout the night.  Then the day finally arrived and my husband woke me up.  He got up, before Grace and Leah, lit the tree and turned on some festive music and ran back to bed.  And we waited for Grace to bound into our room.  Nothing.  We opened her door a bit more and then waited.  Nothing.  My husband coughed loudly and we waited for our oldest to daughter to bounce into our room.  Nothing.  Come on Grace, it's Christmas!!  Geesh for someone excited for Christmas, you would think she would be up before the sun was, but no.  My husband nudged her bed (I think he was more excited than she was) and we waited.  Finally she bounded into our room, to my side of the bed and loudly said in my face (morning breath and all) "Wake up!  It's Christmas!!!"  And that was worth the wait.  Merry Christmas Everyone!!