How Jett Cheated at Christmas

At 3 years old this is the first Christmas that Jett really understood Christmas. He was SO excited for it.  The month leading up to it we talked a lot about Santa and presents and what to expect Christmas morning.  Everytime we went to the store and he wanted something he'd "put it on his Christmas list" and he did a really good job not getting too present crazy.

He even helped me wrap cousin presents and didn't get too jealous that there were no presents for him under the tree.  He in fact repeatedly wrapped and unwrapped some presents for himself, household items that he'd put in a box...so funny.

But then the families turned up.  And they came bearing gifts.  Lots and lots of presents went under the tree and Jett just couldn't help himself.  He knows his name by sight and found the 2 or 3 under there that had his name on them and he just kept going back to that tree and those presents. 

Lesson learned.  All toddler gifts must be wrapped in wrapping paper and not come in gift bags because the little cheat peaked into his presents!!!

Come Christmas Eve we opened the few presents under the tree ("Santa" presents were for Christmas morning and weren't under the tree yet) and Jett kept telling us what was in his gift bags before he opened them.  "Oh and now I'm going to open the rolly racing car!"  I couldn't believe it.

And then.  AND THEN.  It gets better.

Opening the few presents Christmas Eve just got him even more excited.  He was gifted with this awesomesauce robe from his aunt and cousin who couldn't make it over from London.

And O.M.G. this was now his Christmas "costume" and he would not take it off.

At bedtime we finally convinced him it was too hot to sleep in and that we'd drape it on the doorknob of his door and when he got up in the morning he could put the robe...I mean costume...on and come get mommy and daddy and we'd all go downstairs together to see if Santa came.

He went to bed no problem.  Right on time.

But he couldn't handle the excitement.

At 2am I hear the pitter patter of little feet coming into my bedroom and there's Jett in his robe/costume telling me that Santa had come and he watched the sun come up already so it was time to go downstairs.

My house was full of people and Noah was in our room so I tried to quickly and quietly usher him back to his room telling him that we have to wait until morning to see if Santa came and that he needed to go back to sleep.

He actually went back to bed pretty easily and I went back to sleep.  The next morning my little sister informed me that he had actually been up again, turned the light on, put his robe on AND WENT DOWNSTAIRS.  He then came back up stairs, did a little happy dance in the hallway as she looked on in amusement then went back to his room and back to bed.

I CAN'T BELIEVE HE CHEATED.

My little rule follower cheating at Christmas.  

To be fair we never told him he couldn't go downstairs and check.  

Our mistake.  Next year we'll know better!

Anyway, he then slept in on Christmas morning and we actually had to go wake him up, help him into his costume so we could film his entrance into the living room assuming we were witnessing him seeing the presents for the first time.  It wasn't until later that morning that my sister informed us about the cheating.

Sigh.

 

Nevertheless, all cheating aside.  Christmas with a 3 year old was a blast.  I can't wait for Noah to be able to enjoy it as much as Jett did this year, only 3 more years!

Anyone else have toddlers cheating on Christmas morning???