This year took on a different feeling for another reason as well. After months of hinting and asking questions, Kaitlynn told us she was ready for the truth about Santa Clause. We spilled the beans and her world is forever changed! It was upsetting to her at first but she slowly became adjusted to the idea, especially when she was able to take a more active role in the Christmas traditions like Jexan the Elf and Christmas stockings. But it felt like an entirely new chapter in the Courtright family, one that I wasn't all that disappointed about, to be honest!
As the hour grew late on Christmas Eve, it was time to say goodnight and let the anticipation build for Christmas morning.
There was no shortage of excitement in our house on Christmas morning. The kids had been staring at those gifts for a while and they were ready to see what surprises were in store. There were smiles all around for Connor, with his favorite gifts being new AirPods, books, candy, and Fortnite socks (ha!). And Kaitlynn hit the jackpot with her LOL! dolls and zebra themed gifts. I'm not joking when I say that my December trip to Houston completed saved our Christmas. It's shocking how much more expensive some of these items were priced here versus back home. Thank goodness for my last-minute trip and a generous baggage allowance on my flight!
We had a blast opening gifts and enjoying some Christmas breakfast snacks, but soon it was time to get ready and head out for our Christmas adventure. Just like last year, we were celebrating the special day by visiting a local theme park. This time we went to Motiongate, which is a Hollywood-inspired theme park with tons of rides and attractions. It was our first visit and we couldn't wait to explore.
We enjoyed checking out the various sections of the park and seeing what rides we wanted to enjoy before the lines started building. I've mentioned before that my family can be split into 2 groups: those that love roller coasters and those that ARE SCARED FOR THEIR LIVES and won't consider riding them unless they are the tame ones. We very quickly found a couple of tame coaster rides and loved hopping right on over and over while there were no lines in the morning.
But it wasn't long before Connor seemed to toughen up a bit and actually suggested that we ride one of the bigger, scarier roller coasters. I did not pressure him at all; it was completely his choice. Before we knew it, we had ridden the scariest rides in the park, and we were LOVING them! I think Connor even surprised himself when he rode with me on the Hunger Games themed coaster that actually does a 360-degree loop. I would NOT have believed this if I hadn't been sitting right next to him! I had the best time with my new roller coaster buddy!
We rode the rides over and over until early afternoon. Then we walked over to a different section of the park for some lunch, and I was really excited to finally visit Dubai's version of Olive Garden. I may have had my hopes up too high...it was good (yummy breadsticks and salad) but not as good as the ones back in the States. But it was a great way to cap off our Christmas Day visit to Motiongate.
Back home, we enjoyed the downtime and the kids were excited to bust out their Christmas loot. Although we certainly missed our family and Christmas traditions from back home, we ended up having a wonderful holiday with our little family and with our new friends and traditions here in Dubai.
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