Christmas Morning

"It is good to be children sometimes and never better than at Christmas."  ~Charles Dickens 

This

is what the girls saw when they walked down the stairs into the living room.



piles of presents wrapped and stamped with their names straight from the North Pole



oh how I love way Santa wrapped them with year





I live for my living room looking like this all year.



The girls wait {mostly} patiently at the top of the stairs



for they know that there is magic waiting for them down the stairs and around the corner.



every way they turn





This year Santa brought the girls a teepee. And it was all decorated for Christmas!









It had presents in it and it was so so elegant.















After I made sure that the lights were all twinkling and the fireplace was on... Scott make sure the video camera is set up on the tripod and ready to go... then we let the girls rush down the stairs!



This was my view... waiting for them to come in the room... best spot in the house!



And then I watch their faces take it all in. Slowly, tentatively, mixed with joyous shouts and glee. It's wonderful to be their mama on Christmas morning.



"Are you the reason my heart sing?  But definitely!"  ~Shirley Temple 























Right after that, Abigail remembered that the Tooth Fairy might have come (from this post back here) And of course the tooth fairy did!



Stockings started! (aren't those always so much fun to watch?)





Not sure what she was laughing at but I love her joy here.



They loved their big surprise!





This is Christmas to me!



How I love Christmas morning...







It's the little, sweet things that we love the most...







Some gifts take you by surprise... like this one... she was so excited...



for Bible tabs because Anna has them in her Bible and Abigail has been wanting them forever.



There were new baby animals to add to 'Christmas in the Forest'





and the sweetest books made.













Christmas morning was beautiful, sunny, and cold, just as it should be in Connecticut. It wasn't snowing but there was still snow on the ground from the week before.



We stopped after stockings for breakfast.





Scott made waffles in his waffle iron and we had all the toppings. So so good!



After breakfast there were so many presents from Santa to open. All they had seen so far was the teepee and their stockings but they insisted on family gifts next. I gave everyone these sweet mini cups from Emma Bridgewater. They are just for decoration and I thought they'd be lovely in front of our white stockings each year.













Yes, I'd say, just what that mantle needed!



The girls were 'over-the-moon' sharing their gifts with us.



"better than Santa" they said about the giving. And I think her face here says it all!











This one made Abigail cry... Scott had talked her out of buying a tiny teddy bear that was way too expensive at an antique store. Each time we've gone she's begged to 'buy that bear with her own money'. We always thought it was such a waste of her money but this is what daddy put in her little girls stocking.









yes, I think Scott won best surprise!







Such a happy, happy morning, loving on each other.





Tea was poured and we watched the girls open their Santa gifts one by one.

















We love just how excited the girls are for each other.



and how Christmas makes them still little once again.



Now, I have to explain these. The best gifts ever! Heavy duty, they felt important, cash boxes. For their weekly meeting with us. (I explain our money/peg system back here) How did Santa know?!







This was a pretty fun gift to watch them open!





Anna has a 'thing' for tiny stuffed animals. Especially tiny sea creature 'stuffed animals'.

















And some how after Anna opened that gift Abigail spotted a present around the same shape and size...



Can Santa hear her from the North Pole?







Could have stopped there for a one hour break!



I'm not quite sure how Santa knew about Dane and this conversation (back here) when Abigail's EoE pen pal was showing her her new 'James and the Giant Peach' skirt. But somehow Santa knew, and it was under our tree!





and this shirt Dane had too



that made the coolest sparkles on the ceiling. (I think it might be too distracting to wear to school)







So happy about her new bathrobe for cold school mornings!













It's not Christmas without Calico in our house.









No, they are not too old for little tin tea sets.











These never work for more than 7 minutes but boy did they love opening them!







Another grand surprise. Anna saw this skirt in a store. And no, I would NEVER buy her a skirt that was that much money... "Kate Spade? Yes, it's lovely Anna but no way! I don't care if it has cupcakes all over it. No way!" (I said to her last October)







Sometimes the face... well, it's just worth it!





Proof positive, Santa shops in stores!



Cute soap, a puzzle, a game... always!











It was a magical Christmas morning. And I thank my lucky stars that Santa saves all year, or builds all year, or a combination of the two. We love Christmas morning.











Merry Christmas, little girls, just stay little, just stay little, just stay little...



"Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.  Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."  ~ Roald Dahl, The Minpins