It was Merry

Santa was very nice to Ellen this year. The gift that took up the most room in Santa's sack was her new kitchen! I had several friends convince me that she really should have a kitchen, despite the fact that I was very wary because it will be located in our main living space. The nicer looking kitchens can be very pricey, so I decided to make my own! Wait, wait - I most certainly did NOT make the kitchen below. I had done a lot of the prep work gathering the pieces for my DIY kitchen, when a very good friend (did I say very good? I mean the best!) came up with a kitchen and accessories that was unused in the Elf shop. I quickly decided this was a much better option!

Ellen came downstairs on Christmas morning and perused all her new things, just like any other day at the office.

She asked Santa to bring band-aids and french fries in her stocking. Santa knows that fries don't keep well in stockings, but she was more excited about the Kai-Lan band-aids than almost anything else!

The snow boots were a hit, too, though she walks like Neil Armstrong at the moon landing in them.

The kitchen came with these little tins of impossibly cute wooden food. I debated whether Santa should bring them (due to a likely choking hazard), but she has played with them non-stop ever since. Peanut-mushroom-pineapple stew? Yes, please!

Ellen really got into delivering gifts and tearing up wrapping paper this year, and really was in an excellent mood all day, despite the hectic schedule. We had a wonderful lunch with my family, and then a relaxing dinner with Erik's family. We were home and in bed by about 7:30pm, and could have slept for 24 hours straight!

Hope your holiday was just as nice!