Christmas came

and went again, with nary a tantrum in sight! Lucy had a fabulous day, she was so well behaved despite being utterly exhausted before the excitement even started.

It was nice this year, to have her so excited about Christmas. The last two years, she really has had no clue whats going on, except that she gets presents. THAT particular detail she understands!

This year we made a big to-do about Christmas, partly because we felt like she deserved some fun for a change! Christmas Eve she went to kindy as per normal but Matt picked her up early so she could come home and get ready for Santa. We wrote him a letter, asking him to leave bubbles, crayons and books (in our house Santa brings the little things - mummy and daddy are the giver of the GOOD presents!), and told him that there were two (just two mummy - no more, just two!!) biscuits waiting for him, with a glass of milk. (On that note, you tell the kid to write what she wants Santa to bring and she wants bubbles, books and crayons? How EASY is SHE to buy for?!!)

Later on that night we watched the carols on grandpa's big screen. They were on an hour after she usually would have been in bed, but we wanted her to sleep in at least a LITTLE bit for us on Christmas morning, and she'd woken up at 2am the three nights before asking if Santa had been - we weren't doing that again! Lucy curled up in my lap at about 9pm and we decided that it was bed time. Of course, she didn't want to go to bed (despite her eyeballs hanging out of her head and every second word being preceded by a yawn), because SANTA. IS. COMING.

Christmas morning all the family came up and we opened all the presents together, Lucy was quite chuffed that Santa had eaten his biscuits and drank all his milk, she was quite proud to show off the empty plate with just a few crumbs on it to everyone.

Boy did that kid get a haul - seriously. Her Auntie Tash bought her a CAR - i wish i was kidding. I'll have to post photos of this thing, its fully electric, so she can push the pedal and it just takes off. Luckily it comes with a steering handle at the back as well as the steering wheel, so daddy can direct her around the yard, otherwise, who knows where she might end up! She LOVES it. She also got a fully stocked playdoh table which is such a hit (mummy and daddy did good on that one ya'll!), a kitchen with pretend food, pots pans and other bits that she has been dragging all over the house ever since, and so much other stuff! Books, clothes, dress up clothes, little toys, bubbles, drawing books, and other bits and pieces that I can't even remember, but will be finding for weeks to come!

We hung around the house for a couple of hours and then realised nobody had thought to give Lucy breakfast (whoops breakfast at 10am - was waiting for child services to arrive!), so she scarfed down some cereal and off to nanny and poppy's house to do Lunch with everyone, and of course MORE presents!

Despite how excited Lucy was, and how much fun we had with her, Christmas this year was surprisingly relaxed and quiet. I managed to have only one fight with my grandmother, (that's a WHOLE 'nother post), and otherwise, it was very relaxed and casual.

Christmas day this year marked 22 years since Matt's dad died from Cancer, and while I know, before we had Lucy Christmas was generally a sad day for him, having Lucy seems to have brought some of the Joy back into it for him. Just another reason we're so grateful for our girl.

We had a great day. And we're hoping, that 2010 and will bring some great things for our family.