Happy New Year, from the eggrolls!

Although our New Year's Eve party wasn't as festive as we'd hoped (josh was still fighting off the junk, so we left a bit before midnight - actually, I was in the elevator with my friend Brad at midnight...I made sure he kissed his wife first! =) )  our New Year's celebrations still went on as planned.  

The girls had been looking forward to New Year's Day for several weeks, and were ready to open all their presents under the tree.  I probably should have insisted that we brush hair, at the very least, before opening presents, but they were so excited to get started that I felt like, "What the heck, we'll just get started!"  So we busted out the video camera to sit in the corner (in true Whit fashion!) and they got to work.  

I love the look on Emma's face as Mantha gets to open the first present of the morning -- isn't it great? 

When it was a My Little Pony movie, there was cause for great delight! 
Emma had several "big girl" toys...like this lite brite, which she didn't quite understand at first.  Once we did a picture together and then lit it up, she thought it was pretty cool.  
Em also got some pop beads that fit together to make jewelry.  Another gift that was a bit advanced for her, but she totally loved it.  She's a true girly girl, as you will see in a future post!
And My Little Pony refill Lite Brite set...
Of course, the big box under the tree was perhaps the most anticpated of all.  
Mantha made quick work of the paper...
It was a little tikes market/cash register thing from josh's parents.  You scan the foods and they teach you all about food groups.  My kids now walk around the house saying, "Eggs are a protein.  Milk is a good source of calcium.  Broccoli is a vegetable."  It's way fun and they love playing "payer/seller" with it.  
We finished all the present festivities with stockings loaded up with American snacks - Hot Tamales, Fig Newtons, Butterfingers, Baby Ruths and spicy peanuts for Daddy; sour skittles, laffy taffy, blow pops, and chocolates for the girls; and for me, just the sheer enjoyment of watching everyone be surprised and happy with their gift (one of my favorite things!)

And in case there wasn't enough good stuff, we had double chocolate chip muffins and bacon and eggs for breakfast - no new year's resolutions concerning weight loss in this house! (At least not yet, anyway!)

We lounged around the house the entire day, with nothing to do.   It was bliss.  

Happy New Year!