…I’ve been either sleeping, trying to sleep, or nodding off while my kids stare at their sickly parents.  Yes, Santa brought the Christmas Cruds to our house.

Snacks for Santa.

EB was a little weirded out that some dude came in the house, redecorated, and ate her food. In reality, the dogs ate the sandwich and we had to sub in crackers at the last minute.  (We forgot to get cookies.)

Although, I think it was really from the daycare.  Everybody was sick in her class before the break.  I just thought I was invincible since the last time I was sick was 5 months ago.  I have a remarkable immune system even though 72% of my diet is chocolate.  Regardless, Eebs got sick, better for a few days, then sick again.  A2 got sick from her sister and has been coughing like Val Kilmer/Doc Holiday in Tombstone, then Hubs and I came down with whatever has been floating around our house.  On Christmas morning.  We were quite the sight for Santa.

EB asking me to open her stocking chocolate.  I think I slept 4 hours.

But I wasn’t too tired to snuggle.

Today is the first day this week I have made it out of PJ’s while the sun was up.  I even showered; things are looking up.  We had some synchronized naps in the past couple of days up in here where everyone committed to the 3–4 hour time-out from the world.  Right now EB and Hubs are taking their turn recuperating while A2 wiggles next to me on the bed.  I thought it was high time I put up the Christmas photos.

Santa brought the girls a sparkly deer head via Cowboys and Crossbones.  It’s hung up above the diaper changing station and Eebs wants to play with it so bad.  I have a feeling I will come in there after nap one day and it will be in the bed next to her.

She picked the deer head up immediately.

My mom and Aunt L sent a bag of presents for the girls in early since we weren’t spending Christmas together and they wanted them to have plenty to open.  They’re too kind to them.  I guess that’s what being a grandma and aunt grandma is all about.

She was PUMPED about finally getting to open everything.

Daddy showing Eebs how to work her new real camera from Granny.

My MIL and I had plans to send in the big Santa present early since we weren’t spending Christmas with them either – it was our first time at our own home, just by ourselves.  I have to say, it was really special and we took our time with breakfast, tea, and opening presents slowly and thoughtfully.  It is nice to be with a lot of family, but you end up missing half of what other people are getting in the hubbub, especially with young kids in the mix.  EB got most of the presents anyways, and wanted to play with each and every one.  So we took our time.

Trying out each present one by one.

“Stockings are filled with presents, you say?”

EB was the one doling out gifts and even helped A2 open her gifts.  But back to the big present – a kitchen set.  EB loves cooking.  The cupcakes, natch, were “baked” under the credenza or dressers because she didn’t have an oven.  So Gram Gram found this awesome wooden set by Melissa and Doug.  Such a generous gift for a granddaughter she knows well.  Here was the sitch: she and I had plans to bring it in to Austin from the hill country to be assembled and ready Christmas morning, but Hubs didn’t know that I had big dreams of this being her big gift from Santa.  He wanted Eebs to find it in front of his mom since she’s the one that got it – much like I felt about my mom’s gifts for the girls, too.  The fun is seeing the reaction!  So somehow I got my wires crossed and never confirmed when they were bringing it out to us, and missed my mom when she could’ve picked it up on her way to Houston to see my bro.  I was crushed!  EB would’ve had a wonderful Christmas anyways, but I knew she would spend most of her day with this if we could get it out here.  So on Christmas eve morning, bright and early, Hubs drove out to the hill country to pick it up.  Then he stayed up late (after the kiddos were asleep, DER) assembling the heck out of it.

Christmas Eve in Santa’s workshop.

It was like the kitchen cabinets we got from IKEA.  Complicated, annoying, and beautiful.  He was a good boy for making the Santa run.  She loved it, and told everyone about it on FaceTime, how Santa brought her a “cook.”

EB coveting her present from Santa/Gram Gram + Bop Bop

We also got some lovely presents from some WANA fairy godmothers, including cupcake clothes and more cupcake clothes!  They came wrapped and everything!  And some hand-me-downs from an old friend, which helped us reconnect now that we both have families with kids around the same age.  Playdates are in the works.

Eebs showing A2 how it’s done. She wouldn’t let me open ONE of A2′s gifts for her. Sheesh.

Cupcake footie PJs for A2.

EB says it will look better on her.

It was a good day, even with the nose-blowing and nap-taking.  Well, taking a nap is a Christmas present in itself, amiright?

These girls were worn out by noon…thank goodness. We all passed out at the same time.

What did Santa bring you?  And don’t say a cold, because I promise the peanut butter sandwich and crackers we left him were made with clean hands.  He couldn’t have caught it from us.

Thankful Jells.