We spend every Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at my parents house and it is nearly the same as it was when I was a kid. Rich had several of the same traditions and was very willing to adopt the rest.
We always sleep over at my parents house on Christmas Eve. They only live 40 minutes away but since we are down their for Christmas Eve it makes more sense to stay there rather than have to drive back and forth. Besides, I love that we don’t have to travel on Christmas Day. My sister and her family come up from CT and stay there too. I love that we are all under the same roof.
When we wake up nobody is allowed to go downstairs until everyone is awake and ready. At that time my mother goes downstairs to put on coffee, light a fire, turn on Christmas music and grab the camera. Only then can the kids go downstairs. The pictures above are the kids at the top of the stairs anxious to see if Santa stopped there.
Santa brings all of the gifts to my parents house. Am this stop, Santa does not wrap gifts so each child has a designated area and their gifts are piled in that space. There is always an adult that goes into the room first to take a picture of their face when they round the corner and see everything that Santa has brought. After they play with their toys for a while we have breakfast, do stockings then and then one by one we take turns opening the gifts from Mom and Dad, the Aunts and Uncles and my parents (who love to spoil them rotten). It takes FOREVER to open all off the gifts but we take lots of breaks so that the kids can play and the adults can drink coffee and mimosas.
We were all very, very spoiled this year!
Almost there….
Entering the living room…
Zack’s spot
Lauren’s spot
Kathryn’s gifts (on the left hand side of couch)
L 
Charlie’s favorite gift was his train set
Lauren pointing to her favorite gift – an American Girl Doll! Her second favorite gift was the Razr scooter
Zack (and Charlie and Will) played with his car table all day long.
Sitting with Grandpa showing off their Zhu Zhu pets.
Poor Zack just couldn't hang. He passed out in a chair before 10am. That kid never sleep ANYWHERE but his own bed. He was pooped!
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