Thanks For Stopping By, Santa

Sunday

Dec282014

I know most everyone is done celebrating Christmas, but we're just today discovering that Santa stopped at our house. And HOOBOY am I aware that Santa stopped by because Alexis mentioned it a time or ten thousand while waiting very impatiently for everyone to gather in the family room so gifts could be opened.

It took something like half an hour for that to happen, by the way. That meant she had half an hour to stare at wrapped packages (Santa wraps!) and dream about what might be inside. She never actually mentioned what she wanted from Santa out loud, so there was a chance she wouldn't get what she was hoping to get. Writing a letter to Santa and expecting your Elf on the Shelf to deliver it is risky business.

Fortunately, Santa nailed it.

May she always be so happy to receive a bag of York Peppermint Patties. Amen.

She was also very happy to find more choking hazar...er...I mean Shopkins.

I'm putting it in writing -- Mila will be crawling before the clock strikes 2015 and the Shopkins are going to be an issue. In the meantime, Alexis is a super happy camper.

Because .... blow dryer. Her very own blow dryer.

It's really very easy to make Alexis happy.

Obviously. I mean, cat socks are rocking her world this year.

As for Mila, she was very pleased to find that we were willing to leave more paper where she could reach it.

Delicious, delicious paper.

But the very best reaction of the day goes to Mila when she discovered something special in her stocking. Santa stuffs stockings with "need" things like underwear/diapers, toiletries, and snacks. While Alexis was pretty happy with her York Peppermint Patties, Mila literally gasped and then grinned when she spotted the bright yellow Cheerios box beneath that tasty paper. The camera wasn't ready when she first saw it, so we tried to recreate the moment.