Express Christmas Day

Our Express Christmas Day was AWESOME! Seriously, I couldn't have planned a better day...except that I DID plan this day...and it was great. We were all up and ready to open presents by about 9am. Max almost headed down to the basement where he knew I had been storing all the Christmas presents, until we reminded him that presents are under the tree. The kids almost went for a free-for-all when they saw the presents, but we were able to convince them to have a seat and let us hand out presents one at a time. Sort of. It went pretty quick.

The kids got plenty of toys, PJs, slippers, and had a great time giving gifts to each other and mom and dad too.




I was SUPER spoiled. Tyler rarely (and by rarely I mean never) buys from lists. So I tell him what I want, and then I don't get those things. He always gets me great gifts, but then I never get the things that I was asking for. Well, I don't know if it was due to his busy-ness this year, or what, but he totally went off of my list this year and it was great. New leather jacket, purse, watch, jammies, a necklace, a cookie jar - and he surprised me with a new book for him and I to read together. I seriously felt, SO spoilt.

Tyler got a sweater and dress-shirt, plus funky socks and a bow-tie from the kids. They were SO excited to give them to him (typical dad gifts, right?). Plus, I got him a CS Lewis book that has all of his works in it. Pretty great. He still has more gifts to open in Alberta, but I ordered them online and shipped them to Alberta, so he won't get them until REAL Christmas.

It was so fun to have nothing else really planned for the day. The kids got right into playing with their new toys (especially Max's new remote control car), while Tyler and I made pancakes, complete with cool shaped pancakes for the kids. A snowman for Logan, Mickey Mouse and an M for Max, plus Minnie Mouse and Santa for Lucy. Awesome Dad!

Then everyone quickly showered and got changed so the kids could go for Belt Testing for TKD. Logan and I stayed home and made sugar cookie dough and for him to have a nap. Tyler texted me often with updates and pictures of how the kids were doing. They did GREAT! Now they are both yellow-striped belts. They got to kick through a real piece of wood and then they got to keep the wood they broke. What 4-year-old kicks through wood?! Mine.






Somehow in moving I have lost my cookie cutters, so I asked Tyler and the kids to stop and pick some up on their way home. They were unsuccessful with cookie cutters, but they did find a food truck set up in the grocery store parking lot that was selling Beaver Tails! So we each had one. Tyler and the two kids each had maple butter and chocolate, and I chose cinnamon and sugar. Seriously, delicious. It tasted like Stampede Mini-Donuts. So that was our Christmas lunch! haha.



When everyone was home, we continued playing with toys. Max got some x-box games (Up and Star Wars Lego), so he and his dad got right into playing those. I made a quick dinner of grilled-cheese (so gourmet) and we ate and decorated sugar cookies to share with our neighbours.


We had this great plan to deliver cookies and their present plus sing Jingle Bells to them, but it turned out they weren't home. So we didn't get to carol, but we had fun practicing. It's so fun listening to Logan sing, "Jimma Bells".

Kids got showered and changed into their new jammies and slippers for a little Christmas Soccer (apparently that's what we do on Express Christmas - especially when Max gets a new soccer ball), and then it was scriptures and bed. New jammies are awesome. I love Logan's skinny legs and big belly in his Thomas the Train jammies. And awesome slippers too.


Such a great day. I loved that we did SO many fun things, but there was no plan or timeline for anything. Just what we wanted, when we wanted. It was great.