Christmas: It's a wrap

It was a happy Christmas morning here on Planet Silas, and a lovely day all together. We video chatted with Grandma and Papa, opened presents, played, and had brunch with Patrick and his mom.

But let's backtrack, just for a minute.
On Christmas eve, Silas got his last puzzle piece and we put it together:

We baked Silas' great-great-great Grandma Manz's white cooke recipe. We heard Santa is quite a fan so we left him a few. And we did not forget a treat for the reindeer:
Along with the wrapped presents, I like to hide a few things in the bows of tree. Silas found two fire dogs and several firefighters tucked amidst the branches. I told him a few days beforehand that there would be surprises left by Santa in the tree. The story got a bit confused as he reported to me on Christmas Eve that Santa himself would be hiding in the tree (sounds a bit scary to me but Si seemed to think it was a fantastic prospect).

I think he must have been a good boy this year. Santa done him right.
Hours of imaginative play. My favorite is when the firefighters have conversations. He does a different voice for each. Priceless.
Me and Squishy Bear. It doesn't look like it, but he wanted to have his picture taken. Hugs beat presents.
Later in the day...Brunch at Patrick's. Silas is waving to Drew's family. They are still trying to work out some kinks with Grandma G's computer so that we can video chat. They could see and hear us but we couldn't see or hear them. Half way there!
Patrick's mom, Silas, and a good book.
Patrick and Silas still had time to work on some art:
And that's a wrap! In closing, I wanted to say that this was, in many ways, Silas' first Christmas. We try not to make a big deal of things, try not to have too many presents, try just to hang out as a family and enjoy ourselves and each others' company. That being said, this was a big deal for Silas. This is the first year that he was really aware and understood what was happening. His excitement was infectious. Christmas can be a stressful and even sad time for a lot of people and I myself have struggle with that as an adult. But Silas puts everything into perspective for me. This was a largely stress-free holiday thanks to him and so, I will end with two quotes from our young sage:
"I just want to play ALL day. Playing is my favorite!" and "Ho, Ho, Ho, MEEEERY Christmas!"