Christmas Eve 2012

Each year on Christmas Eve the girls get their final gift/appearance from our elf Ruby.  She always brings the a pair of pajamas for the girls to wear on Christmas Eve.  We usually have some sort of gathering with my dad's side of the family on Christmas Eve so they always get to open their gifts before we go.

This year we headed to my Uncle's house and spent some time with the fam, played our gag gift game and then headed home to play Santa.  Being Santa is exhausting.  Good thing I like these kids.

Elf on the Shelf: 2012

Every year our Elf Ruby makes her appearance after Thanksgiving. This year she came and brought a whole North Pole breakfast and presents with her!  Each year Ruby (we) get the girls an ornament of their own for our living room tree and they get a sisters one for their trees in their room.  Once they are older and leave us they will have a nice little collection of ornaments to start with.  The girls were so excited to see Ruby!

Throughout the Christmas season Ruby bounced all around our house.  Some nights Paul and I were lucky to remember to move her and some days we didn't even remember until the morning.  On a few of the nights though Ruby got creative in the easiest ways possible.  I had to say I did get a kick out of some of these and the girls really seemed to have fun and that's what really matters, right?

Morgan's lunch box for school

This one was set up after Tenley's party..we had some help from Carlos! 

One night the girls wouldn't listen. Ruby wrote them a letter telling them she got in trouble for being late to the North Pole that night.  That really whipped them into shape!

12/24/11: Christmas Eve

Usually we spend Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family but it tends to be a late night and with 3 kids it just didn't seem like a great idea. We hadn't planned on doing anything but my parents called and offered a steak dinner at their house so we decided to go. Before we went Elf Ruby brought the girls their Christmas pajamas.

Corey and Ashley also joined us at my parents.  I know there needs to be an explanation for a few of the pictures above. A) My brother coming down the hall.  Every Christmas once everyone was finally up, my mother would make all 3 of us go back to the end of the hall like we were coming out for the first time so she could catch it on video. It's become sort of a running joke now and we make everyone do it.  My brother got his desk that evening but not before going to the end of the hall.  B) Troll Jesus.  Yes, my mother has no idea what happened to the original Jesus but she replaced him with Troll Jesus.  Does that break a commandment or something?  Also? I think a camel and a few Wise Men took a toilet dive thanks to Mackenzie. 

After my parents we headed home to set up for Santa. The girls wrote notes (or dictated to me what to write) and set out cookies and milk. After checking to see where Santa was on Google Maps they went straight to sleep and "Santa" got busy! Merry Christmas Eve!