This was our first Christmas where we openned presents on Christmas Eve at 11:30 at night. WHY? You all ask. First of all, because December 24th is Caleb's real birthday, we normally do not open ANY other gifts that day, devoting it just to him as his day. Secondly in the US Christmas presents are opened on Christmas day in the morning, as early as the parents will be driven out of bed.
Well, here it is different. Santa doesn't ride on a sleigh. He rides on a firetruck! After all since it's summer here during the holidays, Santa would ROAST in his big coat and there certainly ISN'T ANY SNOW to use a sleigh on. So he rides the firetruck! Still not making sense?? Well, it's really a distraction technique to get the kids out of the house. When the firetruck comes around the neighborhood, all the kids want to see, so they run out of the house with at least one parent. Meanwhile... in the house the other parent sets out all of the gifts that "Papa Noel" brought just then as the firetruck wizzed by. Interesting huh?
Then at 12:00 am everyone opens their gifts, plays with them and around 1:30 or 2:00 am everyone is out in the streets trying and showing off the new toys, bikes, skateboards etc... It's really quite interesting. Our kids were in bed by 12:30 because they didn't really have much to show off. The grandparents had sent money to their US accounts, but that meant little under the tree.
Caleb showing off his new Oriel Li'l Kinz
Christmas morning we spent together as a family of 4 putting a couple of their toys together, and then we had to make a new tradition of swimming in our pool on Christmas day. Our pool isn't big, it was a gift and has coming in handy to cool off. It fits perfectly in our back yard and has provided hours of fun for the kids and Heather LOVES to clean it as a hobby.
Enjoying the high 80 degree weather in the pool in the "shadow" of the Christmas tree.
Hannah opening up her "Secret Sibling" gift from "Big ABWE Cousin Kelsey.
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