December 24: Open a New Ornament and Christmas Story

 Christmas Eve is finally here, and it has been a busy day!  Our advent activity this morning was simple, but fun.  Each year on Christmas Eve we get the girls a new ornament for the tree and a new Christmas story book that we read as our bedtime story that night.

We knew that we would be at my parents' house for most of the day so we decided to let them open their ornaments and the book this morning before we left.

 Charlotte has no idea what to do, but she did what she does best, meaning she ripped at it with her teeth.  Finally Tyson helped her get it started and she took it from there.

 Lily's a pro, but she takes her time unwrapping, getting a small piece of paper off, setting it aside, pulling of another scrap, setting it aside (repeat)...  It seriously takes ages.

 She finally got her ornament out though.  This years ornament is the silver sleigh bell from Polar Express.  She loves the "train" book.

 Charlotte's ornament is a little lamb that says "Baby's First Christmas".

 Their story this year is called "Little One".  It tells the story of the first Christmas from the perspective of a donkey.  A sweet little story to help teach my girls about the true meaning of the holiday.

 I grew up with the tradition of getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve.  While at my parents' house this evening all of the kids opened their new jammies.

Almost all of my nephews and nieces in their new pajamas, we were missing little Gracie this year, but next year we hope to have her and her parents here with us.

 I'm such a dork, I got them matching pajamas.  Someday I'll stop making them match, I promise!!!  I think that they look rather adorable though.