And so that was Christmas...

And what a great Christmas it was too.

An eve of eating out and then viewing some christmas lights on the way home, setting out carrots for reindeers, leaving Santa a little treat (this year Rocky Road...lucky Santa) in a special little Santa box made by India for that purpose, and also a glass of water to break his thirst (and to give him a break from all the beer...india's idea). India also left him a couple of written letters of love plus a piece of 'beard fluff'. Seriously the cutest and sweetest things I've seen for a long time (have photos, will share soonh-ish). The 'beard fluff' she found (in the shopping centre i think or maybe in the garden???) a few weeks back and was saving it to return to him. Sitting on the couch as a family taking in the beauty of the tree and our christmas lights. Then tucking the kiddies into bed to have sweet dreams about what awaited them in the morning. Thankfully India has worked out that the sooner you sleep the quicker the night passes...which I remind her of each year.

Christmas morn dawned early...very early...very very early. In fact, I think dawn was skipped altogether. But we, as parents, managed to stay relatively prone until just before 6am. Thanks to the fabulous tradition of Santa stocking. The rule is Santa stockings are free game as soon as you wake. Help yourself to all it's goodies, quietly, but all other presents are untouchable until the whole family is assembled...and awake...around the tree.

So once the parents were conscious enough to remember what day it was, splashed some cold water on our faces, assembled the present-opening-tool-kit (scissors, phillips head, knife, wire cutters, batteries, band aids, bigger scissors, bigger wire cutters, direct phone number to the Incredible Hulk) (it's a parent thing, you'll soooooooo get it once you have little ones of your own), calmed India enough to see her more clearly than just an atomic blur around the room and explained to Esta that there was actually something MORE interesting than the singing Christmas Bear, it was time for the present opening.
But more on that later :)