We had just finished our fancy feast when there was a knock on the front door. Isabelle runs to open it and finds a big stack of packages on our doorstep from none other than Mrs. Claus!
We read the note that tells us to open our packages that night because she wanted us to sleep warm and cozy on the night Santa comes.
Imagine our excitement when we unwrapped our own
snuggly Christmas pajamas! We couldn't end the night without setting a plate of cookies out for Santa.
As Isabelle and I were rolling out the cookies and putting them in sugar, Grandma Johnson (Janice) started laughing and said, "Most would have no problem putting out
oreos or something. But not this house! No...they will be freshly baked, right out of the oven cookies for Santa!" She and I laughed as we watched Isabelle meticulously roll each dough ball. We both know when it comes to Isabelle, nothing will be done half-
heartedly! Isabelle writes a note to Santa (and in fine print you will see that she then asks her mom to circle the N because it was made with perfect composition, space, and alignment). Michael made sure to
barracade the notorious Z-O-E into a room so she would not made sure the cookies weren't poisonous, and then it was lights out and off to bed. ...for the girls that is because no sooner had the sugar plums begun dancing in their heads, Michael and I had our own knock at the door with boxes and notes from Santa. We then spent the next 8 hours assembling the mini kitchen and table/chairs that Santa so lovingly dropped off with a note that said he didn't have time to do it himself.
At 2 a.m. we fell into our bed and thanks to our night owl children, we all slept in until 9:30. We woke up, and the first thing Isabelle did was run right past her Santa spread to see if he had gotten her cookies.
Whew. He had! He even left a note of thanks...(as well as a self-portrait which she found extremely impressive and informative). She saw the kitchen and was overcome with joy. "This is exactly what I've always wanted!" She and Liv then spent the hour playing with their kitchen while I made Michael's favorite sticky buns and hot cocoa for breakfast. Finally, Isabelle looks up and asks where I think Santa put the pretend food and tiny dishes? They were wrapped under the tree as presents from Liv but not telling her this, I said, "Well honey, maybe he forgot?" She mowed that thought around her head and then paused to organize her disappointment. After considering the situation and how hard it was going to be to engage in meaningful pretend child's play with the "stove that doesn't even burn stuff or light on fire" as she pointed out, and compartmentalizing the idea that
most adults, apparently Santa Claus included, have flaws and are prone to be forgetful, she smiled and said, "Oh well, that's too bad. I guess I will just have to ask him for the play food and tiny dishes next year." We ate sticky buns, drank our hot cocoa in our Christmas tea party set and then opened the gifts from each other. I know it goes without saying that Livy was the star of the show when Isabelle opened the gifts from her baby sister. Leave it to the 1-year-old to pull through with the tiny dishes! They played and played until it was off to Aunt Tate's for the party continuation. Michael and I realized this year that although we aren't world travelers anymore, life could not get much better than this. Christmas with kids in the house has been heaven on earth.
We read the note that tells us to open our packages that night because she wanted us to sleep warm and cozy on the night Santa comes. 
Imagine our excitement when we unwrapped our own snuggly Christmas pajamas! We couldn't end the night without setting a plate of cookies out for Santa. 
As Isabelle and I were rolling out the cookies and putting them in sugar, Grandma Johnson (Janice) started laughing and said, "Most would have no problem putting out oreos or something. But not this house! No...they will be freshly baked, right out of the oven cookies for Santa!" She and I laughed as we watched Isabelle meticulously roll each dough ball. We both know when it comes to Isabelle, nothing will be done half-heartedly! Isabelle writes a note to Santa (and in fine print you will see that she then asks her mom to circle the N because it was made with perfect composition, space, and alignment). Michael made sure to barracade the notorious Z-O-E into a room so she would not made sure the cookies weren't poisonous, and then it was lights out and off to bed. ...for the girls that is because no sooner had the sugar plums begun dancing in their heads, Michael and I had our own knock at the door with boxes and notes from Santa. We then spent the next 8 hours assembling the mini kitchen and table/chairs that Santa so lovingly dropped off with a note that said he didn't have time to do it himself.
At 2 a.m. we fell into our bed and thanks to our night owl children, we all slept in until 9:30. We woke up, and the first thing Isabelle did was run right past her Santa spread to see if he had gotten her cookies. 
Whew. He had! He even left a note of thanks...(as well as a self-portrait which she found extremely impressive and informative). She saw the kitchen and was overcome with joy. "This is exactly what I've always wanted!" She and Liv then spent the hour playing with their kitchen while I made Michael's favorite sticky buns and hot cocoa for breakfast. Finally, Isabelle looks up and asks where I think Santa put the pretend food and tiny dishes? They were wrapped under the tree as presents from Liv but not telling her this, I said, "Well honey, maybe he forgot?" She mowed that thought around her head and then paused to organize her disappointment. After considering the situation and how hard it was going to be to engage in meaningful pretend child's play with the "stove that doesn't even burn stuff or light on fire" as she pointed out, and compartmentalizing the idea that most adults, apparently Santa Claus included, have flaws and are prone to be forgetful, she smiled and said, "Oh well, that's too bad. I guess I will just have to ask him for the play food and tiny dishes next year." We ate sticky buns, drank our hot cocoa in our Christmas tea party set and then opened the gifts from each other. I know it goes without saying that Livy was the star of the show when Isabelle opened the gifts from her baby sister. Leave it to the 1-year-old to pull through with the tiny dishes! They played and played until it was off to Aunt Tate's for the party continuation. Michael and I realized this year that although we aren't world travelers anymore, life could not get much better than this. Christmas with kids in the house has been heaven on earth.
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