Henry, John, Peter, and Frances each received a new outdoor toy. Henry needed a bigger bike to ride. John asked for "a scooter with a jet pack", but Santa decided "the flying turtle" was a safer option. Peter had been asking for a yellow scooter for months (and who would have known that the yellow one costs twice as much!?). And Frances just had to have a pink car. Simply because we've never had a pink car before. Then everyone received a few other items from their wish lists - a stormtrooper costume and pokemon toy for Henry, a Super Mario game and workbooks for John (yes, he asked for workbooks for Christmas!), a beading toy and Thomas puzzles for Peter, and a cell phone and some new Beaufort Bonnet duds for Frances.
And then they tore into the piles of gifts from Nanna and Pa, and other family members. It was a fury of wrapping paper flying everywhere, batteries needed here, scissors needed there, magical chaos. And then everyone played. It was wonderful.
Every year we give the kids an ornament for something significant that happened that year. Henry received a Mona Lisa ornament because this was his first year in the gifted program, where he studied Leonardo DaVinci. The Mona Lisa was his favorite painting because "she is always looking right at you." John received a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone because he ate gallons of it after his life changing surgery this year to remove his adenoids and tonsils. Peter received a personalized ornament with all his funny sayings. This was the year that Peter's speech took off, and he says hilarious things daily. Frances received a cross-stitch ornament with her motto - "No Bow, No Go!" This was the first year she had enough hair to wear a bow, and now she doesn't leave the house without one on.
Henry and John made gifts for us at school. Henry wrapped his in a homemade bag that he decorated - "I wrote everyone's name and their favorite thing: Daddy - news, Mama - hugs (the sweetest), Henry - reading, John - video games, Peter - being crazy, and Francie - chowing." Inside that perfect gift bag, we found a framed work of art. Henry drew our family, and decorated the frame with a family of snowmen. He said he had to do the most work in his class because his family is the biggest. John made us a sign with his handprint on it. He doesn't like to get very messy, so we really appreciated that he was willing to have his hand covered in paint.
Later we enjoyed our traditional Christmas breakfast of banana splits and reindeer donuts. The boys cleaned their plates. Frances wasn't so sure about her first banana split, but she chowed down on her reindeer donut. We spent the rest of the day playing, especially outside in the 70 and sunny weather we were having. We spent all day in our Christmas pajamas, and even enjoyed Christmas dinner in them. The final tradition of the night was our Happy Birthday Jesus cake. Henry came up with the idea for the exclamation point to be in the shape of a cross. I had to draw it out twice for the Publix Bakery, and it involved a phone call after the fact, but they delivered.
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