Did he come?

When Reilly woke up he arrived in our room. He was convinced that Santa had not come because he didn't hear him yell HO HO HO from downstairs. (Santa had instructed him earlier in the week to listen for a HO HO HO - and then to run to the window to watch him fly away in his sleigh.) After letting him know that we could go downstairs to check to see that Santa came, ate the cookies that Reilly had left out for him (chocolate chip and one oatmeal), read his note, and left him a present or two -- he was ready to go downstairs to see the proof.

Shad and I had tried for quite some time to build out the wooden train track that we had purchased used from Craigslist. We just put it together in an attempt to use most or all of the pieces. There were also about four wrapped gifts for him by the couch - and one wrapped for Kate. In an improvisational move I "read" the note Santa had left and said "Wow Reilly, Santa wrote you a note back it says HO HO HO Merry Christmas - the train set is for you and your sister Kate." (I had a hunch Kate would go eat the train track and thought it would be a path of least resistance) Kate sure enough crawled right by her toy and over to the train track to pick up a piece and start sucking on it. Gotta love that wood train track, I'm not sure it's truly edible but it's not far off.

After about 30 minutes we asked Reilly if he had any interest in opening something else - he didn't. So, it was actually kind of boring because Reilly had no interest in anything other than the train - we really did not have to buy him anything - he would have been completely satisfied with the train set. Live and learn I suppose. And, Kate was easily as happy sucking on the new toy. After about 40 minutes Reilly began criticizing Santa's train set up. He felt that he could have done a better job setting it up. That darn Santa.

All in all, it was really fun watching him get so excited. I took him to Church with my parents at 11am where he said Merry Christmas to everyone he saw. Then it was off to the airport to head off to California.

Shad and I didn't buy one another anything this year. I gave him a book and a set of coasters from the kids.

It was really a great year for us as a family - just being together and Reilly's first year appreciating who Santa is.