Santa came! Santa came!

After a long, long night (and an even longer night for Meegan), I woke up around 7:00. In the foggy haze of morning, I shuffled downstairs to start the coffee and, more importantly, make sure the camera was charged and ready. As I turned the corner into the living room, it was obvious that Santa graced our house with a visit.

Just as I was sitting down with a cup of coffee and the Sunday paper, I heard pitter patters sounds punctuated by Max's cat-child sounds that signal an excitement overload.

We woke up Zöe, opened the presents that Santa left upstairs, ate a few chocolates, and headed downstairs.

The boys were beyond belief. Jack noticed immediately that Santa set up the train set around the tree. Zöe grabbed the stuffed bear that was too big for Santa to wrap. And Max pointed out to Meegan the her new (to us) iMac.

We took turns opening our presents, which drew out the process into hours. There were enough toys, however, to entertain during the periodic breaks to eat, have a glass of champagne, and take a few phone calls. When all was done, everyone was satisfied ... except Jack, whose #1 Toy He Had to Have suffered from severe design flaws that did not comport with Jack's exacting specifications (to be continued).