The day after Christmas is one of the days I look forward to most. There is still a Christmas tree and there isn’t anywhere to go or do that you don’t want to. There is candy for breakfast and you can wear your pjs and strew your toys all over the house without getting into trouble. Don’t get me wrong, I love the excitement and magic of Christmas morning, but the relaxation of the aftermath is pretty fantastic.
A few years ago we started celebrating with my parents the evening after Christmas. This year, they came over bright and early to deliver a very special gift for the girls. There was a TON of squealing and jumping up and down and cheering when this Hello Kitty paper came off.
I think Josh was a little upset that the jumping capacity won’t allow us to participate. Heck, I’m kind of sad about that myself. This mini trampoline, however, is the perfect size for our littles and will be great for many years before we have to consider upgrading.
Since there was rain in the forecast and the trampoline was small enough, we decided to put it together on our porch so that the girls could really enjoy it while we were home for the next few days. BEST. DECISION. EVER. And in the interest of full disclosure, it’s still there, on our porch where the swing should be.
We had two very excited helpers who helped sort pieces and empty tools onto the ground and generally confuse everyone who was really participating!
They weren’t really interested in waiting until it was put together. As soon as Soph realized what it was she was climbing on every chance she got.
We convinced the girls to let us get in for a few minutes to snag a family photo op. Do you know how hard that is on a bouncy surface when there are two girls who REALLY want to jump?
Let’s just say that the photo below was the last happy moment before the “incident” occurred. See that smile on Ella’s face? And the one on mommy’s face? Yeah, they didn’t last very long. Here’s what went down: there was an unnecessary reaction to our lingering presence on the trampoline, then some bodily harm BY the child., there might have been some yelling, a set of parents locked outside, a set of horribly embarrassed grandparents standing witness and a little more screaming. It ended with an announcement of “no jumping today.” Hmmm. Let’s just leave it at that.
After a heart to heart, some crying and an apology we fixed lunch and piled on the couch to watch a movie that Ella got in her stocking. Let’s just say that there is nothing like sour cream & onion Pringles and an animal movie to soothe the soul and make everything better. We finished off the day with presents and a snack supper in front of the fireplace at Garan’s. Since the girls got their big present that morning, they had a few small gifts and an awesome stocking to dig into, plus a lovely little surprise from KCory.
Y’all, the squeal that occurred when this Bieber CD was opened was almost as loud as the one from the morning arrival of the trampoline. This girl was in heaven. She & her sister might have had a little dance party to Baby over and over and over. She & this boombox might need to spend the night at Auntie K’s asap!
As always, it was a wonderful time with my family and we stuffed ourselves on veggie soup, cheese ball & crackers, pigs in a blanket and all manner of sweet treats. The boys watched football and I may or may not have fallen asleep in the floor in front of the fireplace. THAT is Christmas, friends.
