More Favorite Gifts

The kids completed their State quarters collection this year so Santa thought it was time to start a new collection.  Here William is studying all the President dollar coins he needs.  Santa left this book along with small pile to get him started.  Now have both grandparents on the look out and request these cool collectible coins whenever change is being offered.
 

James only had one thing on his wish list - Lego Education Mindstorm expansion pack. He reminded me of it every time he was especially helpful.  Here he is lost in the world of robotics and has entertained us with a walking camel like creatures, and an alligator that walks and opens its mouth.  One creation takes about 45 minutes to build and another 30 minutes to program.  While working on his creations James has quoted Thomas Edison "making something is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration".


Above is a little refurbished doll bunk bed for Kirsten and Felicity.  Handed down from my sister's children, Santa's little helpers carefully sanded down the original white paint and stenciled flowers then sprayed  it with shiny apple red paint.  Those same helpers were busy well into the wee hours of Christmas Eve sewing the bedding, a foam mattress covered in  blue and white striped fabric, floral pillows and luckily there was some leftover patchwork fabric on hand for the quilts - that made it quick.


Henry loves his wooden slide of which Maryanna cried out "Oh, I remember we saw that at the recycle center"!  I'm pretty sure that is exactly where Santa picked it up.


Of all the children Peter had the most extensive wish list and even requested a billion dollars.  Santa brought him $60,000,000,000,000 (from Zimbabwe) - quite impressive.  However we recently discovered you really can't do much with it since $35,000,000,000 only buys you one egg.  He recently said "next year I'm asking Santa for my own nail clippers because I can never find any".  That sounds like another great stocking stuffer!