Forget Ho, Ho, Ho...How About Faux, Faux, Faux

 Since we left for California on December 22nd, we decided to have Christmas morning before we left so we would not have to travel with gifts. Our faux Christmas Eve was on the 20th and Christmas Day on the 21st. Alyssa also had her Holiday Ice Show both of those days so it made for a couple of busy days. After the Friday night Ice Show we came home and crammed in some Christmas Eve. I did not make chowder because I didn't have time, so we just picked it up from Panera.

We didn't even get a tree this year since we were not going to be home so this little table top fellow stood in. We also had a lot less presents since gifts from my family were all waiting for them in California so all they had under the tree was stuff from us and from Seth's parents. It was still plenty.
 

Sometimes not knowing how to use your camera results in cool stuff, like this shot of our candlelight dinner.

 
Also no time for cookies so Santa got store bought cupcakes. 

 
And the kids took their candles to bed like they always do.
 
What Santa left for Chloe
 
For Alex
 
For Alyssa
 
For me, Seth and Bernie.


Our pretend Christmas morning.

I got up to find this little elf sitting in the hallway waiting to go out.



 
This weird look on Alyssa's face came when something in her stocking started making noise.
 
And kept making noise.
 
Guess what was ringing in that little package in her hand? Yep, she got a phone! And a smartphone at that because that is what we were eligible for for 99 cents. Yes, it will come with a monthly payment for us but I think we are cancelling our home # now that we have 3 cell phones, although I admit that I like having a home # to give out to businesses and at church.
 
We almost got Chloe Caroline last year because AG finally made a doll with long curly blonde hair. Chloe's hair is barely curly anymore but this was still the doll she wanted.
 
A Minecraft jacket from Grandpa Bob
 
A doll hair salon from Grandpa Bob. We buy the real AG dolls but we buy lots of the accessories from Target because they have cute stuff for way less.
 
I think this was an Amazon gift card from Grandma Ann
 
Barbie megablocks from Grandma Ann
 
Chima stuff from Grandma Ann
 
The kids got lots of clothes from us because we failed to do much back to school shopping in September. I did not think we needed a picture of every shirt or pair of pants but she did. I won't post them all.
 
This Brewers charm bracelet is actually the only thing Alyssa asked for this year so we had to get a little creative to make sure she got as much as the other kids. Hence, the phone.


 
More Lego Chima from Seth and I. Alex is so easy to shop for because he makes a long and detailed list each year.






 
We gave almost all of our toys to Goodwill last year but thankfully we held on to this kitchen because Chloe spent all morning making cupcakes for her dolls. 


 
Can you see Alyssa in the background? E-school has due dates every day, including over Christmas break so she had to get two weeks ahead of pace so she could take the break off of school. She still had one assignment to do on Saturday morning so there she is working on it.
 
Trying to figure out the rainbow loom
 
Alex played his Disney Infinity but the gift he was most excited about was his headphone. Thankfully he did not break in to his Legos because now that we are home and stuck in the house with no school and no desire to go out in the weather, he has had plenty of Chima stuff to keep him busy.

And since we were pretending it was Christmas, I decided to pretend it was Chloe's birthday as well so I would not have to drag her birthday present to California. I hate to mash her birthday with Christmas, but I wanted her to be able to play with her gift a little bit before we left. So 3 hours after Christmas gifts, it was birthday time.

I finished a blanket for Chloe in the summer and intended to finish 3 more, for Alex, Alyssa and Seth by Christmas. All 3 of their blankets are close to being done but since they were not done by Christmas morning I decided to lump Chloe's in with her birthday present instead and to use it as wrapping paper as well.


 
Since Grandma Ann's birthday present was also here already, we let Chloe open that as well.

 
It was sparkly and girly and therefore, she loved it.
 
Her doll trailer from mom and dad. American Girl had a trailer a few years ago for $350. This is from the Our Generation collection at Target. I buy the real dolls but many of our accessories are from Target. 

 
The trailer is even cuter now that we have it all unpacked and untaped but here is a peek at it before we did all that.



 
Alyssa even brought her dolls out and played in the trailer and the salon. The salon chair is also from Target and it rises up and down like a real salon chair. Too cute. I can't believe we have ended up with 5 of these dang dolls. I still think they are ridiculous, but every generation has its ridiculous toys, I suppose. 
 

So there are our early Christmas and Birthday celebrations. Stay tuned and I will take you inside the real events as well, but next up is the ice show.