Breakfast with Santa

The breakfast of champions: Breakfast with Santa.  The Rogers always host Breakfast with Santa for the whole Pearce family.  It takes a lot of work, but is so worth it.  We begin the night before setting up buffet tables to Santa perfection and ready for the mayhem in the morning.  Then we're up bright and early to start cooking!  Bruce-king of the griddles! 

The menu is always the same: hash browns, muffins, eggs with ham, orange juice and chocolate milk.  But why change something when it's delicious and you have it down to a science right?  It looks like McKenzie agrees. 

The kids all chose to sat together for their meal.  After we got them situated we kind of let them fend for themselves.  I'm assuming they ate enough :) 

Once they're done with their dinner then they get to snap open their crackers.  Inside each is a Christmas crown and a little toy. 

This year the timing was perfect and as soon as the kids had opened their crackers there was a joyous "Ho! Ho! Ho!" heard from inside the house.  Santa had come!  Each year he comes and reads "The Night Before Christmas" then gets down to the business of asking each little boy and girl what they would like for Christmas.  This year Cambrie asked for toys for her American Girl doll. 

McKenzie surprised us all by willingly walking up to Santa, or backing up rather, to sit on his lap.  She sat there shyly, said cheese, took her candy cane and got right back down.  No tears, so I can't complain. 

Oh candy canes bring so much delight. 

Each family gets to snag some family pictures with Santa.  Even though my girls aren't crying, I sure wish they'd look at the camera.  I guess you can't have it all though right?

 

Once Santa leaves then we get to open cousin presents.  McKenzie helped Brynlee open her new jammies. 

Then she got to open a new Munchichi from Drew.  It even came with a binki that fits in her little mouth. 

Cambrie got a build-a-bear set from Macady and a small Rapunzel doll.  Once the festivities had settled down a bit, the girls got to work making Cambrie's new stuffed cat.  They stuffed it, designed the dress, and I sewed it up. 

Ta-da!  Instant toy. 

Miraculously, the Reynolds and little Rogers made it through the entire party with their party clothes still in tact.  We just had to get a picture of the darling matching cousins.