Christmas had bad lighting, loud wrapping paper, and kids awake at an hour no human should be conscious. Pajamas didn’t match. Hair did whatever it wanted. And we loved it. The house smelled like coffee, pine, and the pride of surviving another December.

Kids tore into presents like tiny, joyful tornadoes: pure wonder, zero strategy. Boxes flew. Instructions ignored. The excitement was loud and impossible to fake. Moms watched from the couch, coffee in hand, eyes tired but smiling.

These candid moments never made the holiday cards, but they made the memory (and the internet). Years later, those photos still warm us with love, noise, and the magic of being home when everything mattered and nothing needed explaining.