Merry Christmas

Cara has done quite well with this whole Christmas thing. The other night we went to some friend's house for dinner. We explained to her how the whole evening would go: we would shower, dress up, go over to the house, she would get to play with some kids, we would eat dinner, then we would come home. She was quiet, did pretty well, but that night she had a night terror. Anytime something new happens we get a night terror. Lots of people say just to soothe her and let her cry it out. Cara just gets worse and worse with the terror if we do that. She needs to be picked up and swayed back and forth until the terror/crying subsides. I don't know how long night terrors go on for kids, but I'm kind of wondering how we will do the picking up and swaying thing when she's a teenager.

Yesterday we told her she would take a shower, put on her pretty dress, go to church, go to Grandma and Grandpa's and eat dinner, open presents, and go home. She did really well. She was amazed by the presents and not as overwhelmed with the noise like I thought she would be. Every time she got a present she would say, "Mine?" Kind of like she was surprised that there was something for her. Then she would open it and say, "Mine? Ao Huan's?" Like she still had to double-check that it was actually for her. It's a little humbling and heart-breaking to see her so thankful for everything she receives. I work for a school district that is widely considered to be one of the poorest districts in the state (we are either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd poorest every year; it fluctuates). I am blessed to see kids that are thankful for everything they receive on a daily basis. But it's just different to see it in your own home; especially since my kids have a lot.

It weirded Cara out to open a present, put it to the side, then open another one. She wanted to stop what she was doing and play with it. I think she would have been fine with one gift. Every year my mom gets the grandkids a clothes box. She always wants the kids to try everything on and they say, "NOOOOOO!" Once we got home, Cara took out her clothes box and had me try everything on her and patted herself and said, "Ohhhhhh, pretty!" My mom would have loved it; a kid that actually enjoyed the clothes box and tried everything on and she's not even a teenaged girl! :)

We put Cara in bed with us and told her that Santa would come in the night and bring her a big present. She wasn't too sure about the idea of Santa coming into her house an night (in retrospect, maybe we should have rephrased the Santa part). But she went to sleep and we didn't have a night terror! It was amazing. I thought we would have one for sure! We woke her up this morning and took her out into the living room where Santa had brought her an indoor trampoline! She wasn't too sure about what to do with it, but once B showed her how it's done, she's a serious jumper! She also had to model her "Jazzie man" dress up kit. Jazzie man is her favorite princess.

J got me a flip camera so I can put videos on my blog. I'll play with it and try to post something in the next few days. All in all, we had a pretty great Christmas. Cara, by far, is our favorite present! I hope your Christmas was just as wonderful!