Ahhh, Christmas.
Such a wonderful, warm happy time.

A time to spend with beloved family and create fond memories.

Everyone is content and comfortably full after all the good food.

You know, that time after dinner but before presents when everyone is all warm and fuzzy and even the kids aren't too persistent yet about "when is it time to open presents?"

"Chestnuts roasting by an open fire..."

Soon enough, insanity starts to seep in like a party crasher who becomes the hit of the night.

It all begins with Santa, and before you know it, things are getting wacky.

Thanks to Uncle Tim and Aunt Nicole, Shannon (and her siblings) got the elusive zhu zhu pets.

(You can see her disappointment dripping off her face.)

But we expect her to be a little nutty.

Now this is plain craziness.

But then there is always inevitably an end to the giddiness.

This was late afternoon the next day. (Christmas day) It was the moment right before I realized that maybe I had too much delicious Christmas turkey and stuffing and maybe my son didn't have enough.

Isn't that blanket beautiful? Hand made things are such special gifts. But NEVER give an overtired underfed child of 6 such a gift that any adult would love and appreciate before a toy has been presented.

Because it's not pretty.

After what felt like all night, Dan finally calmed down enough to come out of solitary confinement (well not really, I stayed with him) and say thank you and open his other gifts. But he was so whipped by then, his reaction was pretty mellow.

Christmas night, we were putting the kids to bed and I noticed Dan's face was all blotchy. When I asked him what happened, he said he wanted to find out what it felt like to actually "shoot his eye out" (as in "A Christmas Story" which we had just finished watching the end of.)

What are we gonna do with these kids?