Dec - Christmas Day

Rylee has to set an alarm for Christmas Day, otherwise she says she can't sleep at all - she just stays up watching the clock.  The plan was to get up at 7, but the kids know they can get up early if they hear us downstairs.  Rio decided to help them out and get up at 6:30.  As soon as the kids heard Jon turn off the alarm to let Rio out, they came down.  Santa Claus has been here!  Santa Claus has been here!

Revealing the presents!  

Jace asked for pajamas and legos.

Rylee's turn!

Rylee asked for a book and some holiday stuff for her American Girl dolls.

My parents came over for egg bake and puffy wuffy on my beautiful reindeer plates that Grandma Sandy bought for me years ago.  I love those dishes!  Afterward, we opened presents.

Here Jace is getting an ornament.  In the background, you can see the two signs my parents got.  I made the memories sign and was so proud of myself.  I distressed the wood, stained it, stenciled it, dry brushed it... and managed to keep it a secret until Christmas.

Then a week before Christmas, Jon tells me he made my parents a sign too.  Which is incredibly thoughtful and sweet sure, but he one up'd my sign!  I mean my parents were in tears when they opened his.  I gotta admit, it's awesome!  The picture doesn't even do it justice.  :)

Jace was all smiles here, but he wasn't feeling the best. 

 His fever returned that day.  He asked if he could finish opening his presents and then he went off and rested and put together his new legos.  Here he's giving me the thumbs up that he's okay (while the rest of us opened presents).

*Jon took him to the doctor the next morning, and they confirmed he did have the flu.  He got some antibiotics because it was starting to settle into his lungs.  He finally started feeling better for the second week of break.

It was a very Hogwarts Christmas.  We got 4 new Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts games.  The kids each got new HP water cups.  Rylee got HP pajamas. Jace got a FB set for his lego dimensions video game.  They got HP ornaments.  Rylee got an HP cookbook.  Harry Potter now equals, if not possibly surpasses, my family's love for Star Wars (gasp!).  

Rylee got some makeup brushes from her cousin, Maddie.  

Jon liked them too!

She also got a box full of her own cooking supplies from Gaga.  She put them to use that day when she made us Christmas dinner: Mama Jo's spagetti - a Polich family favorite.

And that's, as they say, a wrap!  :)