thank you santa!

This is Claire hugging the package of ten Disney Princess lip glosses she got from Santa. "This is my favorite! I love it! I love it! I love it!", she exclaimed after opening this gift and pretty much every gift she got. However, in mysterious two year old fashion, she still insists Easter is her favorite holiday.

After some anxious moments on Christmas Eve (I did my best to be good, really I did. I did not mean to hit Claire, Mommy, I am REALLY telling the truth), Abby was thrilled to discover gifts from Santa on Christmas morning.

However, I think her proudest moment came when she got to hand out the gifts she had carefully selected and payed for all by herself at her school's holiday shoppe. For her, I think this was as exciting as opening her own mound o' presents.

It turns out Santa was pretty good to Mommy too. I got almost everything on my wish list, including two new camera lenses that I am having lots of fun playing with (the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens and the Nikon 18-200mm) and these awesome slippers that are not coming off of my feet until spring.

But at the end of the day, even the girls agreed that it was the house full of family, food and laughter that was the best gift of all.

Two days later, my carefully cleaned house looks like an American Girl/Disney Princess/Polly Pocket disaster zone and we have done nothing but eat leftovers, hang out in our pajamas, watch movies and work our way through the numerous half empty bottles of wine hanging around the house.

A perfect, perfect end to the holiday season.

Maybe we will make it out for New Years. If I still fit in my jeans, that is.