Christmas was so much fun here. Even though we were completely across the country from our entire family, we tried to make Christmas as much like it would’ve been as if we were home. It started off on Christmas Eve. Usually, well, for the past 3 years, Santa Claus has come to visit our house on Christmas Eve. It was our opportunity to take their photos with Santa, and let them get used to the idea that Santa was cool. Well, this year, Santa didn’t fit our new schedule, so we got a direct link ichat to the North Pole.. I’m not kidding. We got on iChat with Santa! It was perfect considering the circumstances… My girls, being of digital minds, loved the idea. Of course, nothing is as good as seeing Santa in person on Christmas Eve, but this was a close second!

Even Santa thought it was cool! He was able to show the girls his lists, and talk about what they wanted for Christmas. The girls were having so much fun that they didn’t even realize it was almost bed time. They didn’t even know that we had done some super secret shopping and had been able to find just about everything on their Christmas Lists. Including the infamous “Green robot, with a controller, that’s a girl” as my little Monkey See would put it. Actually, her sister bought that one for her. It was so sweet.

So, yeah, every special gift day, well, birthday and Christmas I guess, we take the girls shopping. Mommy takes one and Daddy takes the other. Anyway, we go to TRU, and we let them shop for gifts for each other. Any gifts they want,  within a certain, pre-set budget… and it’s really funny. Daddy and I have our phones, we peek around the corners, and make sure sister isn’t in the aisle we’re about to walk into. It’s kinda a big dance… but it’s so worth it when we see them open the presents they bought each other.

So anyway.. Christmas morning came, and the girls were sooooo excited to go downstairs and open up presents. We hooked up the webcam again, and my family joined in on opening presents with us. I tell ya, whoever came up with this technology is amazing. Well, they got to see the girls opening presents live and (almost) in person. They opened their presents as well, and it was just… a fun Christmas morning. Don’t get me wrong. it would’ve been so much better if everyone was together live and in person.. but this was just fine for a first Christmas away.

The girls screamed and giggled and went crazy as they opened their presents from everyone. I loved watching and listening to every moment of that. The joy and dare I say it… Glee.. that was experienced that morning was enough to bottle up and save up to use over the next year of tough mornings. Thank goodness… because what was left after those bright smiling moments was just sheer devastation of the living room… or as what I call.. the Christmas Aftermath..

By the way… we went from this…

To this…

oh, and this…

Yeah… I love Christmas..