Ahh...the joys of Christmas

Okay let's start with Christmas Eve...Damon was with his dad and I was at work. We only had to work half a day and about an hour before our office closed I got a call from one of my employees saying that there was a huge package at the front desk with my name on it. I knew exactly what it was. I jumped up and ran to the front and sure enough...it was Damon's "big" gift as mentioned in previous post. I was so excited that it came and just in time. The problem was, it was 115 lbs and I hadn't a clue how I was going to get it out to my car let alone up to my apartment. I managed to put it on our medical records cart and I pushed it out to my car and slid it in the back seat. My mom just happen to call me as I was leaving work and I told her that the present came and she offered my dad's services. Thank goodness because I didn't want to ask; I mean he just helped me the other day getting the elliptical upstairs so I felt bad asking him to help with this too, but he did. He came right over. We went to my car and looked at the big box and then looked at each other. There was no way that I could carry it so I wasn't much help until I decided to have him lay it on my back and he would hold the end of it while I walked so it would not slide off. That worked until we got to the stairs...there was no way I could walk up the stairs, crouched down with 115 lbs on my back. I can't explain how we did it but we got it up two flights of stairs. The next part was putting it together-two hours later it was together enough to be presentable. By that time I had to leave and head down the road to Marion to get Damon. It has become a new tradition...well since last Christmas. I now drive an hour and a half on Christmas Eve to pick Damon up from his dad's and while I'm there I stop in to see my Grandmother, Aunt/Uncle and all of my cousins. It's nice because I do not get to see them as much as I would like. Damon usually gets there around 7:00 pm and we stay until a little after 8 and then it is time to hit the road back to Lake Norman. The plan is that he falls asleep on the way home so that he doesn't see the toys already set up. My mom likes to spend the night so she can see Damon first thing in the morning too, so I pick her up on my way home and bring her to my place. I sleep on the couch with camera by my side so we can get him as soon as he wakes up...



Damon's gifts from Santa. The stocking contained puzzles, books, shirts, maps and apples.






CHRISTMAS MORNING...






My mom and I woke up early and just waited for Damon to get up. Much to our surprise he didn't awake until about 8 that morning which is unusual. My best friend Erin came over with her daughter Briana to open presents with us so by the time Damon woke up, a little grouchy I might mention, there was already a crowd which makes him shy but then he saw the toys and went right over to them. I believe the first one he picked up was the Ben 10 watch. Then he noticed his big gift and wanted to immediately play with that. When my dad and grandmother arrived we opened up presents. I get Damon an equal amount of educational toys as fun toys however this year he wasn't too happy when he would open gifts that flash cards with words, or mathematical cards, or maps of the world. He was polite enough to smile and ask if there was another gift.







Damon opened up a Power Ranger from mommy. I got him the blue one and grandma and grandpa got him the red one.





He got the movie and the book Horton Hears a Who from Aunt Erin and Briana. By the look of his face he loved it (above). He gave nice hugs to Aunt Erin and Briana for his gift.





Damon was excited to finally get the Spiderman Movie from mommy.



Erin opened up her Hanuka present from me and Damon. I hope her and Evan like it.



Briana just got finished opening up her Hanuka present from me and Damon and now she is giving Damon big hugs.




I however wanted a kiss but got a big hand in the face. That's okay, I'll take it!





After we gave out all of our presents we went to my parents house and opened up more presents, and then went to my grandmother's house and opened up more presents. My grandmother (Damon's Great-Grandma) always gets Damon the Hess trucks. My grandfather used to collect them every year and when my brother was born they would buy him one every year and now Damon is in on the tradition. Those trucks are so nice and always seem to be Damon's favorite gift. This years truck included a tractor that goes forwards and backwords by pushing a switch which was really cool. I usually let Damon play with those trucks inside but then I will put it back in the box and put them away. Later we had a nice big Christmas dinner which Erin, her husband Evan, and Briana joined us. We danced, we sung and we ate...my three favorite things. Damon got so many gifts that I usually hide some for his birthday and re-gift them. Some of them I even save until the next Christmas. :) I probably will not be able to do that next year.











The above video is the surprise for my parents. We had agreed that I would not be giving them gifts this year since we were supposed to be going to Hawaii which has now been postponed to October 2009. I acted like this was a gift for Damon but when they saw it was a computer they got confused...and then upset...and then really excited. Unfortunately you can't really see their expressions very well but you can hear their comments. It was pretty funny.