As usual the boys woke up by 7 on Christmas day. We were fortunate though in they were so excited to play with their Zoomer robots from Christmas Eve they managed to wait until 8 or so when Elinore woke up, so we didn't have to wake her up, and so mom and dad could get a little bit more sleep. Then we took care of the dog and some minor mornings things and headed to the living room for some Christmas fun.
Christmas gift opening in our house usually takes a few hours. We started just after 8 I think and wrapped up around 11. We hand out a gift and watch them open it; then it's some playing and some assembly if needed before the next one. We've never really forced it on the kids this way, they just enjoy checking their stuff out and playing with it! We gather trash as we go so we don't loose anything and they really get to enjoy their gifts. We try not to do a ton of gifts, but I think every year we have a few more than I expected. This year I think we found a good balance!
Once we finished at 11, the kids got dressed, ate a snack and played some more while I showered to head to my mother-in-laws house. We were the first ones there at her house. They were eating at 2, and we arrived about 1 after the hour drive out to her place. We had a lovely time there. We were able to share gifts with her before everyone else came. Their gift opening is much more chaotic! It's all handed out when anyone wants and opened immediately. I often don't know what the kids got until the next day when we unpack everything from the car, which means I usually have no idea who gave it to them either! We had a great time there though, and everyone was enjoying meeting Ruth! Other than grandma, no one from his side of the family had met her yet. :) Keith won the awesome gift award there because he got the miter saw he'd been envying for months now!
His brother gave it to him. We've been borrowing his brothers for a couple months now. He'd told Keith before Christmas he needed it back to make a few cuts for something at his house then he could have it back. Here that was just a ploy all along for him to get his saw and Keith to take his own home!
One of Keith's childhood friends stopped by for awhile after most of the family had gone too. My mother-in-law had run into him in her work at Wal-Mart one day and invited him over since he didn't have plans for the day. He and his son came over and they all caught up on things over the years until we had to leave. We were to be in Canton at the boys mom's Christmas gathering at their Great Aunt's house around 6. Their Great Aunt and Uncle are always very welcoming and we stay for a few hours for them to see their family and exchange gifts with the brother sister, mom and her husband. They'll get a gift from their Grandma and Great Grandma usually too. They enjoy it, and it's good for them to see their family too.
Then it's time for the hour drive back home to unload a loaded up car! While we may not be so extravagant, gifts for 6 people and all 6 of those people take up a lot of room in our min-van!
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