The Elrod Update: Christmas Morning

When I was younger, I remember waking up early in the morning... okay, middle of the night... on Christmas day, going into my brother's room and waking my brother, Phillip. I'm sure I woke David Lee, too, but I don't remember him sneaking around with me and Phillip. We would come up the hall into the living room, take a peek at all the presents under the tree, go through our stockings and then put everything back in place just as it was. Couldn't have any tell-tale signs that we had been sneaking around, although I'm sure my parents knew. This year was the first year that there was sneaking around at our house. You would think that the older child would wake the younger and get him to go look under the tree. Nope... not here. About 3 AM in the morning, Matthew crawled in bed with us and told us that Grant had woke him and was in the living room. I got up and found Grant sitting in the dark in front of the tree with his new flashlight shining on the presents. He had woke up, came in the living room and scoped out everything, then went back and woke up Matthew. Matthew says that he didn't take a look around before coming and tattling on Grant but I'm not so sure about that. I put them back in bed and told them not to get up again until I woke them in the morning. I decided to sleep on the couch for the few hours left before dawn so that I could catch any little feet that might come back for a second peek. About 5:30, Matthew ran through the living room to our room. I got up and told him he had to wait until at least 6 o'clock. I reminded him that he and Grant could not come out of the room until they heard the Christmas music playing. That would be their cue that it was okay to come in the living room. You see, my mother did the same with me and my siblings. We had to wait in our rooms until we heard the Christmas music and then we knew we could rush down the hall and begin opening presents. This is the boys right after they heard the music:

The boys always look in their stockings before opening presents. Santa fills them with little treats, toys, and candy:

Then we move on to the presents. Santa's presents always come first because they are not wrapped. This year, Matthew got a new pellet gun and camouflaged wading boots from Santa. Grant got the Pirates of the Caribbean Black Pearl ship and a new camouflaged toy gun.