Christmas started a couple of days early when we purchased an eel for Kellisa. Since we don't really like the idea of a pet snake or keeping frozen mice in the freezer, we thought a pet eel would easily double as a pet snake and since both kids call it snake, I think we were successful.
Our Christmas morning started with Egypt screaming from her bed in terror, which had never happened before. I woke up and ran into her room and she was hysterical. It took a few minutes to settle her down and she was pointing and saying "snake, over there" while pointing towards her bedroom door. I took her very seriously for two reasons. First, we had a corn snake in the garage a few months before and we always have snakes in the yard, so it was believable. Second, a little anole had gotten into Egypt's bedroom just a couple of weeks before Christmas and she accurately told us and pointed to where we found him in the middle of a toy pile.
Scared, but trying to be brave in front of Egypt, I ventured out into the hall and then the living room and didn't see anything obvious. I was hoping it was one of the many toy snakes we have in the house that just caught her off guard because it was early in the morning. I asked Egypt exactly where she saw the snake and she pointed to a rattlesnake on the cabinet we have in the entry hallway. It was actually a gift I had received as a child that I had found the day before in the garage and I thought the kids would love to have it on display somewhere.
Once Egypt realized it wasn't real, she wanted to hold the snake:
74 degrees outside and we still had our traditional fire:
It was all smiles once the presents were spotted:
Egypt and Kellisa received matching spiders that hang from the ceiling and descend when you walk under them (bought at Halloween time):
Kellisa enjoying her remote control rattlesnake that slithers, hisses and rattles:
Fun with the presents:
Kellisa reading a new book:
Egypt opening and then playing with her basketball hoop:
Always jealous of Kellisa and her "Hannah headphones", Egypt finally has her own MP3 player loaded with Alicia Keys, aka Egypt's Rock-n-Roll:
Relaxing:
