Christmas Eve

As a Thrailkill family tradition, the kids open gifts from each other on Christmas Eve. We take a nice bath (Santa doesn't visit stinky kids), slide into our cutest Christmas pjs (don't they look adorable matching this year - ahhhhh), and crawl up in front of the Christmas tree.

I like how opening the presents apart from the rest of the present madness makes those presents special - the only ones that they open.

We learned last year that the kids can't keep a surprise - within moments of arriving home from Walmart with their selection, they had already shared their enthusiastic purchases ("Sissy - I got you a Barbie toy!).

This year, Mommy did the shopping and hid the presents. After our baths, the kids wrapped their presents for each other, and promptly exchanged them.

Xander is still sleeping with his talking Spiderman - it not only does the Itsy Bitsy Spider dance, but it also plays a spiderman theme song!

Mikaela loves her castle floor puzzle - it is HUGE! She adored her diary and matching pens as well.

Mommy and daddy loved those few brief moments where the children loved each other - and were kind:).