This was our first Christmas since we had children to wake up in our own house on Christmas morning. The six years we lived in Texas, we spent Christmas traveling to Indiana to see our families. I was never sad that we missed a traditional Christmas morning with just our immediate family. I thought it was more important that our children make Christmas memories with their cousin, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. But now we are back in Indy and we can have our cake and eat it too.
Our house wakes up a little later than most considering the number of children we have. D'arcy is always the first to wake up around 7:45. The rest of us manage to stumble out of bed by 8:30. I haven't woken up before 5am since the day Maggie was born and I certainly wasn't going to break this streak for Christmas presents. So I decided that I would lay our kids stocking on their beds for them to discover when they awoke. I knew they would still wake me up to share their excitement, but it would at least buy me an hour before I had to make the trek downstairs. Plus, stocking always seem like an after thought. Now the little treats would be savored.
I was not disappointed. D'arcy woke up first, as expected. She ran into my room around 7:45 to ask if her stocking was supposed to be there and could she open it. I had brought my camera upstairs to capture their first excited expressions. Unfortunately, it was pitch black in our room and my lens was having trouble focusing through the dark. I told her yes and so she ran back into her bedroom and told her slumbering brother to wake up and tear open his treasures too. There little squeals of excitement as they shared their finds were priceless. Especially from the warmth of my bed. Julian was in my room soon to ask if he could put together his little ninjago lego set. This first picture is of that moment. It was still very dark in the room, but my flash did it's job.
D'arcy was soon back to show me she had made a Rapunzel braid for her sweet baby.
And by that point, Schroeder heard the commotion and found his little stash. I think Julian helped him a bit (both to wake up and unload his stocking). He ran out in the hallway so excited to show me what he'd received. Here he is showing you Francesco Bernoulli. Ask him to say it. Those eyes indicate he'd been awake for a mere thirty five seconds.
D'arcy helped Maggie unload her stocking, and then helped her out of her crib to come show me her teeny baby. She already knows just how to care for it.
Our house wakes up a little later than most considering the number of children we have. D'arcy is always the first to wake up around 7:45. The rest of us manage to stumble out of bed by 8:30. I haven't woken up before 5am since the day Maggie was born and I certainly wasn't going to break this streak for Christmas presents. So I decided that I would lay our kids stocking on their beds for them to discover when they awoke. I knew they would still wake me up to share their excitement, but it would at least buy me an hour before I had to make the trek downstairs. Plus, stocking always seem like an after thought. Now the little treats would be savored.
I was not disappointed. D'arcy woke up first, as expected. She ran into my room around 7:45 to ask if her stocking was supposed to be there and could she open it. I had brought my camera upstairs to capture their first excited expressions. Unfortunately, it was pitch black in our room and my lens was having trouble focusing through the dark. I told her yes and so she ran back into her bedroom and told her slumbering brother to wake up and tear open his treasures too. There little squeals of excitement as they shared their finds were priceless. Especially from the warmth of my bed. Julian was in my room soon to ask if he could put together his little ninjago lego set. This first picture is of that moment. It was still very dark in the room, but my flash did it's job.
look at those sweet kids! love it!
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