The kids opened their stockings and played a bit while waiting for the rest of the family to rise.
Willem decided to get everyone in the Christmas spirit by walking around the house singing Jingle Bells. He was proud to know a Christmas song and got frustrated that he didn't know more. By New Years he new Up on the Housetop as well.
Love that she's eating a strawberry while opening her presents! Breakfast could not wait even on Christmas morning.
Santa brough Ellie and Willem one present each and then a present to share(this drum).
Willem liked to stop with each present and play with it or put on the shoes. It was neat to see his excitement with each gift.
Grandma prepared quiches which were amazing and we had a nice brunch as a family before opening the rest of the presents. For us Christmas is all about spending time with family. It's so much fun buying things for the kids and seeing their reactions so it's a delicate balance as we don't want them to think of Christmas simply as a day to receive presents. Though the morning was spent opening presents, the afternoon was spent enjoying family time, playing games and cooking family dishes.
Total contentment. These days Ellie is on the run most of the time, so I cherish these moments where she'll snuggle in my arms.
Dinner was an assortment of dishes representing our families heritage. We had satay, mashed potatoes, tamales, persian rice(in honor of Arash) and a few other dishes. What was fun is that we each made a piece of the meal and then came together to celebrate the holiday as a family.
Willem and Arash each played the violin for us after dinner which was really neat. Arash had done Suzuki as a kid as well and shared a bit of his experience with us. I think it made Willem even more excited to play.
We were very blessed to be with family and friends this Christmas and look forward to many more Christmas' together in the future.
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