Christmas Morning

This year was all about dolls.  You never know when a girl will give up dollies.  I got a water baby newborn for Christmas when I was twelve and played with it for the next two years...just around the time I kissed my first boy, Mike Garza under the stairs in the Elevator Room in between classes.  Then who knows what happened to water baby.  All I could think about was that silky black hair of Mike's and those flannels he wore over his wife beater tank tops.  Ah grunge.  Those were the days...well not really. 

Brielle got a baby doll named Brianna.  I have been meaning to throw away all of the old raggedy flea-bitten baby dolls from Ava's childhood, but have been having a hard time.  I'm usually not that sentimental about items. 

Santa in his infinite wisdom decided to get Brielle a doll like Ava's as well, as anything Ava has Brielle wants too.  It's uncanny how much they look alike.  She was laying on the floor that same morning and I had to do a double take to see if it was Bree.  Ava and Bree came up with the name Bella. 

The girls woke us up at 7:30, which I know sounds good, but the parents stayed up until 2:30 helping Santa put together a big dollhouse for Ava.  Oddly enough I never took a picture of our labor of love, but Ava loved it and that's all that really matters. 

This doll ended up being her favorite present.  It's not an American Doll, but a Madame Alexander.  Significantly cheaper but still cute.  Ava doesn't care right now so not a big deal.  She named her Vanessa.  Santa also brought a few matching outfits for Ava and Vanessa. 

Brielle looking less than thrilled with her pony slippers. I would be too if I got super cute Cinderella slippers from our neighbor across the street a few days before. 

It was a good morning and afterwards all Mommy and Daddy wanted to do was go back to bed.  But there was a billion strings to be cut and batteries to be put in and it was Christmas morning so we didn't.