Is it just me or is Christmas Vacation like the FASTEST way to get rid of the Christmas spirit?

I love my kids, more than anything, but WOW, I need them not to be HERE all the time.

Anywho back to my fun family sweet Christmas Morning. Well we set the alarm for 5:30am because we had to get the Boy on the road to his mom by 7ish and didn't want to rush them. Well we fell back asleep and woke at 6 - cause in our house - that's sleepin in!

Well while DH went potty I ran to wake the kids, by the time he came to the stairs the were awake, downstairs, and presents were done.

Because they are all about sweet simple holiday spirit.

I didn't even have time to grab the camera or the video camera! But they were happy and getting into their stockings so whatever...it's a party.

And these are her "TOOOOES!" as she would like you to know...

After the stockings and the bikes we sat down to our traditional cinnimon roll breakfast. It started with my mom and I, even when she had to run to work Christmas morning. And just because they all had to leave at 7 was NOT going to ruin my pictures! - I MEAN - our lovely morning :-D

So once the Boy and DH were on the road I still had some time with the girls and they were BEGGING to ride their bikes. So I dressed them up as though we were trudging through the snow, and we ventured out into the 45* weather - BRRRRRR ;-)

They looked so damn cute in their new hats, gloves and jackets! It was SO hard to get this picture though as you can see Terrible was DYING to get on the road! They did pretty good on our little court. It was fun going out in the quiet cold of the early Christmas morning, until they went screaming down the street of course and I had to keep telling them "QUIEEEEET! Not EVERYONE wakes up at the BUTT CRACK of dawn like you people!!!!" - or something to that effect.

Well their dad came and got them and then it was just Terrible and I. DH got home soon after trying to find an open Starbucks {he JUST missed one!} so he instead brought the breakfast of champions - Jack in the Box. Sausage croisants, hashbrowns, and mimosas :-D So eventually we did have our champagne and semi-quiet.

After that we were like EXHAUSTED. And all of a sudden it was 10! We were supposed to be heading over to a friends house for appetizers/drinks at 12! And I had to bake still! And make 2 paint cans! And fill those paint cans! !!! That was SOOO not gonna happen! So I started to really freak out. I tried to bake and burned the cookies because I was trying to make paint cans! I got so stressed out! Then DH was falling asleep on the couch and Terrible was ready for a nap = STREEEEESS. But we perserviered.

I DRAGGED em anyway! Cause that's what Christmas is about - making people who love you do things they REALLY don't wanna do just to make you happy :-D am I right?? We went to a friends house and had an early dinner and this other friend and her family came over too. That was fun but a little uncomfortable being thrown into the mix for the FIRST time. The two husbands are both video game freaks too, and they kept talking about it, or cutting down their wives in a we'rejustbeingfunny kinda way - BOTH of which my honey doesn't participate in. Yes, I am a LUCKY girl and I totally know it :-D So, they didn't exactly click. But he's willing to try again, and THAT is why I love him :-D

Anywho~so we came home and were ready for bed by like 5. We FORCED ourselves to stay awake until we put the baby down, and then it was a little quiet time and then NI-NIGHT. Christmas just takes it OUT of me these days! I guess it's because we basically had 2 Christmas days and that is TOUGH. It was pretty great though, exhausting, but fun.

Hope you Christmas was as great as ours! The house is a WRECK, the kids are NUTS, I am a MESS, and I need to get those paint cans done by tomorrow - ::sigh:: - ><>