Would it be Wrong to Say I'm Glad it's Over?

I had a great Christmas. My kids received many, many, many, many wonderful gifts that we now need an even bigger addition on our house for.

Craig and I also were given thoughtful gifts even though we want for nothing. We are all very lucky. We have warm homes, healthy family and much love.

The Christmas tree at my parents' house was piled with all the gifts we could pile near it before we just gave up and piled the rest on the pool table until it was time to open them.

I rushed to get my children dressed in their Christmas finery and prodded them to eat a quick meal before heading to church for the 4:30 rehearsal before their cherub choir was to sing at the p.m. service. The entire cherub choir was there with robes and crosses on waiting to rehearse before the choir teacher told us she'd cancelled their participation in the service. Except she didn't really cancel their participation since every one of the kids was there. So that was fun. We cleared out of the church before I said something un-Christmassy and headed to my parents' house earlier than we'd thought we'd be able to get there.

It really worked out better for us that we didn't have to sit through a service, but it was quite irritating that I'd rushed to get there for nothing.

Anyhoo.

We stayed at my parents' house until later than we should have, then rushed home to set out some Oreo cookie truffles and milk for Santa. M nearly had a meltdown because I didn't know what we'd done with their letters to Santa (to remind him last minute what they wanted) so she wanted to write another one. I told her I'd jot down a short note and tell him I'd misplaced the letters and could he please accept my apology for being a piss-poor mom.

Christmas morning we discovered the elf had most certainly lied to Santa on his nightly reports as to the behavior of the children in the Zebra household.

M opened the big gift from Daddy and Mommy for the whole family:

She promptly asked what it was. She didn't care. Ha! I think that's probably good that she didn't know what it was, but she certainly knows now. The kids are definitely Wii addicts already. M is slightly more into it than K, but they are both having a blast.

M's largest request from Santa this year was the Barbie Bus.

She was just a little excited when she opened it.

K really, really wanted a work bench.

It's a work bench that the top flips down and turns into a desk. He has spent hours sitting at it and building with his Legos (also from Santa) and a building set from IKEA that my parents gave him.

Baby D now has 14,000 toys so she's just like her siblings. Looking at the photos I took, however, I see I didn't take many of her. So, bad mommy on her daughter's first Christmas.

The kids are happy, but still exhausted and having meltdowns every few hours. Now, they really need sleep and lots of it.

I'm just happy that the wrapping, making, buying, stressing is over for the season. Now to get everything put away though!