One of my favorite parts of Christmas morning is having the camera ready to capture the kids' expressions of surprise and excitement when they are told it's "time" to come down stairs and into the den where all the presents are. This morning around 5, after going to bed around 2, I hear Luke calling me asking if it's "time." I think I was nursing (seems that's all I do at night lately), so Kelvin got up to explain to the big kids that it was still night time and they needed to go back to bed. He then informed them we would let them know when it was time to come down. A little before 7, I got up. The big kids heard me and started coming down the stairs. I told them it would be a few more minutes because I had to change diapers, but they could wait at the top of the stairs. After everyone was changed, Kelvin was making coffee, and I was turning on the tree lights and getting the camera ready when I overheard him talking with the kids about presents. They were all giddy asking if there were any presents, and Kelvin peeked around the corner then looked back up the stairs at them and explained that yes indeed there were toys. Then I thought it was odd that Luke asked if he had a bike, because Luke didn't ask for a bike for Christmas and had never mentioned it before. My curiosity was peeked and suspicion that they had already spied their gifts started to set in. My suspicions were confirmed when I noticed Carleigh's Raggedy Ann doll next to her "Santa" gifts. At our house, "Santa" gifts are left unwrapped. Needless to say, the doll was not there at 2 this morning when we went to bed. I showed Kelvin, and he began to question the kids. Sidenote…Just before he told them there were toys for them, he had asked them if they had already been down to look, and both of them said they had not. So, now he questions them again. Carleigh never bats an eye, looks him straight in the face, and says, "no." Luke hangs his head and admits they had been down earlier, but confesses that it was Carleigh's idea. My heart sunk. Not only had they been down and ruined the surprise, they had lied about it too. Kelvin told them to stay upstairs and we talked about what we should do. We decided to take all the "Santa" gifts out of the den and only leave the gifts from us. We got the camera ready and told them they could come down. They came barreling down the stairs and when Kelvin gave them the okay to turn around and dig in, their faces said it all.
(sorry the sound is so bad.)
Luke questioned where his bike was, but after her initial face of confusion, Carleigh hardly let on that she was missing anything at all. So, Christmas morning was not as cheery for me as I would have hoped. The bright eyes of excitement and surprise I craved from my big kids to cover over (if ever so briefly) the dark whole in my heart were missing. Emma was awake, which was nice, and Cora was adorable with her gifts. We haven’t quite decided exactly when we will give them their gifts. Of course, they got so much from us and other family that they really don’t need anymore, but that is beside the point. This will be a Christmas morning I won’t soon forget.
Update:
Last night we decided to set everything out for them this morning (Saturday) with a note from Santa that told them telling the truth is always the best idea and not to ruin surprises. They were so excited when they came down and saw all their Santa gifts.