CHRISTMAS

To preface our Christmas morning, I have to tell you how INFATUATED Will is with bikes. Most Miamians in our area don't really have yards to play in. So everything goes to the park. Chalk, bikes, scooters, balls, they are all at the park because that is where kids can play with them. That is a little bit rough when your son REALLY wants a bike and does not have one of his own to bring to the park. There were times he would just stand beside some other kids bike for up to ten minutes. Touching it. Looking at it. Smiling at it. Showing it to people who walked by. It was a real love, let me tell ya. 

And just look at that massive smile on Christmas morning! That boy was in HEAVEN. Best Christmas ever!

She's not smiling because her mouth is too full of chocolate, but she was so pleased she got her own lip stuff, just like mommy!

 Molly's 1st Christmas.

Smurfs! Neither Sterling or I know anything about smurfs, but this summer we found this 95% off smurf house (no joke, over 50 bucks and we got it for under five) that was Schleich. We are HUGE Schleich fans over here, their toys are incredible quality, so we thought it would be a great toy for the kids. Grandma pitched in on the little smurf people when I found them on sale as well, and as it turns out it is probably the MOST played with toy they got for Christmas. Yay!

His smurf got a bike too!

Molly was not that impressed with the wrist rattles that she got. Still isn't, actually. 

Grandma Cindy sent them all a dinosaur books (The original one was How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight...I think? These are all that same set and I really love them!). Will loves looking at the kinds of dinosaurs at the front. Also, that toddler crouch, I just love it! Molly got one in board book form, and that is actually the one they pick out most. They love them, thanks Grandma Cindy!

I was spoiled. Rotten. Ok, my mom always spoils me rotten, but this summer when she came out to help with Molly, my mom realized we were low on utensils. We only ever got one set. Anyway, she spent a LOT of effort on the phone with Aunt Jeannette and scouring places and found the exact set as mine. Which is a big deal because I LOVE my silverware. Thank you, mom!

I also got some really incredibly recipe-making software from Cindy that I am super stoked about! My sister Kami printed off all of my mom's recipes for a YW project when I was 12 or so. Luckily, she was awesome and printed them for me too. Only recently have I discovered how many mom has changed, uses different recipes or different combinations of recipes, and/or are outdated and how many are left out. I am excited to try to remedy that situation! Plus, it can post to pinterest and things so I can share with everyone!

The smurf house!

Sterling opened finger puppets from Aunt Bridget, he was excited, haha! 

That face! Aunt Bridget remembered our love of Schliech toys and sent a turtle and tiger! He LOVES them!

Aunt Bridget also knows Ruthie well. Sparkly, pink, and twirly. She hasn't taken it off since Christmas, literally.  

The kids got two books each that had been researched to try and get ones they would really like for their age. I think I'll make them into a separate post.

Skirt, hat and shoes!

 Ruth told Santa she wanted a "toy and a hat" every single time she saw him. Specifically, a pink hat for her and a black hat for Will. He delivered!

Aunt Bridget didn't forget Molly and she got the cutest gold moccasins! I love them!

I am in love with Molly's little fairy doll. It is the most whimsical, beautiful, cutest little fairy doll! Molly LOVES it. It has the perfect size appendages for eating while teething. Who knew? 

They got Pez and Goldfish in their stockings!

Christmas morning tuckered Molly out, so she went to sleep while we headed out to try the bikes!

Someone had to show them how it was done!

She loves these for playing "where is Thumbkin" which she sings at library story time.

Update on the bikes: Ruth has it DOWN! She was very cautious the first few times, and still is. Especially since her training wheels were a little skewampous and she fell a couple times right at the beginning. For a couple days in there she had it down but had to have "a little snudge" to get going every time she started. Today she rode all the way to the swimming pool in our complex and back all by herself. So fun! Will, on the other hand, was SO EXCITED on Christmas to ride and be pushed around. Now he doesn't even want to get on it. He just pulls it along by its handle bars and shows it to everyone who passes. He can say "bike!" more clearly than any other word, and whenever we mention it he gets REALLY excited, runs to the back patio, points out the door, or even gets his helmet to show he wants to go ride. But then he just pulls it along.  He does this hilarious cupping shape with his hand to 'show' it to people, it's so cute! It's ok, he's pretty little and we anticipated it taking him a little longer, but it is a little funny that he loves it SOOOO much and yet won't try riding!

It was an incredible Christmas morning. (Oh, and Sterling DID get a present. He went to a conference a week before for two days all by himself at an incredible hotel with incredible food and thoroughly enjoyed himself. Promise.)

We feel so blessed and lucky and thank you to EVERYONE! Ruth thinks getting the mail is a real let-down these days, since we got so many cards and packages in the weeks before Christmas, haha. We love you all!