Santa brought the kids sleds, as well as a Disney princess scooter and a pink and purple Timex watch for Fiona, and a firetruck for Rowan. Fiona got a sleeping puppy pet (that she named Chippy) from Grandma. Rowan got a Hess truck from Cousin Donald.
Rowan couldn't have cared less about opening presents; Fiona was at the other end of the spectrum, threatening to rip open other people's gifts. To her credit, she was able to stay calm enough to deliver packages to the appropriate recipients and sit and wait for her turn.
Of course eventually it had to come to an end, and there was some sadness. Fiona had the post-Christmas blues. Sing it with me:
"I ain't got no more presents
and this book is lame.
I ain't got no more presents
these mittens are a shame.
Where's my Mulan doll?
Oh Santa, you are to blame.
"Who said I wanted Uno
Mama was it you?
Who said I wanted Uno
Dada you know it ain't true.
I just want a new Cinderella
because mine has the wrong 'do."
While Fiona was a bit deflated, the blow of Christmas being over was softened, I think, by the fact that Grandma, who probably walked miles around our house with Rowan attached to her finger and Fiona running ahead of her squealing "You can't catch me!", stuck around for several more days. Plus, Dada was off from work, Fiona is off from school, and we did fun things like eat lots of treats and go out to lunch and visit with friends.
I am happy to report that Rowan has started to show an interest in reading. He's been thumbing through books for a while now -- ripping a few, throwing many -- but in very short spurts. His favorites have been these Slide and Find books. He hasn't really sat down and looked at the pictures much, and he certainly hasn't sat and listened to a story -- until recently. The last few nights I've grabbed a board book for us to read before bed, and he sits and listens and points and "talks." He will occasionally flip backward in the book, but he's much more engaged than ever before.
TOOTH UPDATE 12/30/13: Tooth #3 has erupted (16-1/2 months). Bottom, just to the left of center. It's a head-scratcher that it came before the top two, but we will take it. Hooray! Meanwhile, Rowan's fingers were so deep in his mouth last night that you couldn't see his knuckles. Could he be working on molars?