Christmas with small children

[Elok]

I know I'm not the only guy here with kids. Most of the fun of Christmas when you have kids is watching them get excited about their presents. I mean, I enjoyed getting some stuff (due to poor coordination among gift-givers I received 240 bags of Bigelow Raspberry Royale tea, so I'm set for a year or so), but it's really nothing compared to watching your kids hyperventilate when they unwrap a present and find something AWESOME. My younger son, for example, pulled a pair of pliers out of his stocking. He is three, and has nothing desperately in need of plying. It was, however, a Real Tool, and he let out a maniacal cackle at the sight of them. His big brother, on the other hand, got a K'nex construction set designed for building different kinds of bridges. As my firstborn is the kind of five-year-old who will sit and watch a half-hour documentary on the construction of the Millau Viaduct*, the sight of this kit caused him to emit the kind of squeal one associates with a teenage girl at a boy-band concert.

What was a big hit with your kids this morning?

*which EVERYONE knows is the world's tallest cable-stayed bridge, constructed in France to bypass a medieval town in a large valley.

[rah]

I high end lens for her camera. For my 30 year old daughter. She squealed.

[Elok]

So maybe I needn't have specified small children. Unless your daughter is extremely short.

[ricketyclik]

A remote controlled car for my five year old boy. He's gone through two sets of batteries in two days. Cliched, I know, but it's cliched for a reason.

He creamed his shorts over a bike for his birthday a couple of weeks ago too.

I have more trouble with my daughters.

[Jon Miller]

I don't think there was any squealing, but my older daughter was definitely excited by a skateboard park lego set, the I Spy card game, a little purse/mirror and dresses for her doll. All from her grandmother (my mother).

I think there was squealing from my younger daughter, who was excited about all the things going on and seemed most excited by the wrapping paper.

JM

[Dry]

We had Xmas with my young nieces, 7 and 9, and it was... well different from what you describe.

It seems to be a stepwise process. And it's like that since their first (or second) Christmas.
Step one: unpack all gifts, without looking. This is the most intense part, where we have to calm them down. They are not finished unpacking one gift, they already want to open the next one. The adults are frustrated because the girls do not seem to care about what is given. And if there are too few gifts, if this step doesn't last enough the girls are disappointed. Quantity is better than quality.
Step two: look at what they got. This step is more quiet, the brain has calmed down and starts to operate... but not yet at full capacity. The disappointing part for the adults is that the girls will really look at only 2 or 3 gifts, those who look more appealing. Anything pink here has a better chance than than anything else.
Step three, days later: You may hear from the parents, that the best gift was in fact one the girls didn't even look at on Christmas day.

[Broken_Erika]

I have a pair of 10 week old tabby-kitties currently tearing up my room as i type, do they count?

[rah]

We have an 18 year old and a 6 month old cat. The 6 months discovered the joys of catnip infused toys. Stoned out of her mind. No squealing thought.