"Can I open my stocking?"

[PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo]

No you can't open your frigging stocking at 2bloody30 am! Go back to sleep!

Then at 3.30 groans and whimpers because he had opened it and started on the gingerbread and was now thirsty.

Bah humbug!

Oops. My eldest (10) got up at half 7, crept through to her sister's (7) room and woke her up. She told her that it was Christmas. I heard the younger one tell her just to climb into her bed for a cuddle as she was tired. They lay chatting and looking at the sunrise for half an hour before I called them through.

No need for the alarm this year. Last year I had to wake them up at 9 so we wouldn't be late for lunch at my parents.

ds2 at 1.35 this morning, then both boys at 3.30, and the girls an hour later. i finally got up at 7.30 and went to fetch them and they were all bloody fast asleep. little buggers!!!!

2kidsintow.

dd2 opened hers at 2am! I told her to just open one more and then go back to sleep (especially since Santa had only gone to bed at 1am having spent 2 hours putting together a dolls house).

We set our alarm at 4am , fill the stockings then leave them ready - all done, dusted and back to sleep in space of 5 mins. We do it to avoid the 2am opening !

He knew that he had to wait for the sun to come up on his gro-clock, but once it was up he could unwrap/eat/play with anything in his stocking, he did not have to ask permission - in fact he must not ask permission. Ie let mummy and daddy sleep!

I'm sure this child only ever asks permission for anything if we are asleep.

So of course, after asking at 2.30, and calling again at 3.30, come 7.00 when we're fast asleep - he's asking again!

Ho hum.

Did yours like their stockings? I think we got it just right this year.

At 4.15am I had to tell DS2 to be quiet because he was talking so LOUDLY to DS1. He was then very quiet. Apparently they both went downstairs to watch TV, and have discovered "there's not much good on at 4.30am in the morning"

Weirdly they didn't want to play with the things in their stockings until I was awake.