I truly love this time of year--the days leading up to Christmas. I think I might even like it more than the actual day itself. There's something about the anticipation and all the activities involved. Along with more projects this week, we also enjoyed a few of our new traditions.
Our first project was a major failure. We attempted to make snowflakes by folding white paper and cutting slits in the folds. Scissors turned out to be too big of a challenge for Spencer, although he very much likes them. I guess we'll put them away for a while.
Our second project was to make Rudolph. First, we stamped Spencer's hand print onto a piece of paper. Once dried, I glued on a red pom pom for the nose and some googly eyes.Then he painted onto a piece of thin cardboard with both a foam paintbrush and a small branch I cut from our Christmas tree. Then he glued some needles from the tree branch onto the cardboard. Once that was dry, I glued his hand print onto the cardboard. I did learn my lesson during this project: Do not leave my child unattended with a bottle of Elmer's glue. I was gone a few minutes to change Ashton's diaper. When I came back, there was a big puddle of glue on the table. Spencer had unscrewed the cap from the glue and dumped it all out.
Friday we attended our second Supper with Santa at the elementary school with some good friends. We did some crafts in the gym and ate a school cafeteria supper (YUM!) and then visited with Santa. Last year Spencer screamed and cried and did not enjoy his Santa visit. This year he did a lot better. He preferred not to actually sit on Santa's lap, but he did manage to tell him what he wanted for Christmas (a tractor, of course). Ashton happily sat on Santa's lap for a few minutes.
 |
| Visiting Santa at the fire hall a few weeks ago. |
We also walked through the rotary lights with our good friends again this year. Last year each of us only had one kid; this year we have two apiece. Funny how much can change in a single year. Although it was pretty cold, it was fun watching the kids' reactions to the lights. Hopefully next year it'll be a bit warmer! I love making holiday traditions and enjoying them as a family each year.
Aside from the holiday stuff, I also captured my ever-growing baby playing on video. Ashton is less and less of a newborn each day and more alert and active. It's fun watching him change. He sort of smiles now and opens his mouth wide as if he's trying to find his voice.
Warning: It's a long one!
Our Christmas celebrations kicked off on Friday. Great Grandma Mahlke, Grandpa Dave, Barb and her mother joined us at our house for dinner. They all ate up Ashton, and Spenc (once he warmed up to everyone) hammed it up for the audience. Grandpa Dave and Barb gave Spencer a truck, complete with a boat and trailer, that my husband is just as excited about. Apparently he had a similar one as a kid and is jealous at how much cooler Spencer's is. Oh, and I came to the conclusion (again!) that I am very glad I did not continue the tradition of naming my son after his father and grandfather and great grandfather. There are just too many darn Davids!!
We spent Christmas Eve just us four. Egg bake and homemade cinnamon rolls for brunch. Spencer got to open a few gifts throughout the day. Then after dinner he got to open the rest from us before we headed to candlelight church. When we got home Spenc poured "Reindeer Grain" on the deck that we got from school (oatmeal and glitter) and we set out some cookies for Santa. Spencer did not like the idea of Santa getting any of his cookies and decided he needed to take a bite or two out of each one. Once the kids were in bed, David and I enjoyed a glass of wine and watched some TV.
We had one final Christmas celebration on Monday, but it didn't exactly go as planned. In the morning Ashton puked a few times on Dave and was running a slight temperature. He called the doctor's office and spoke with a nurse, who said we should bring Ashton in to Urgent Care. I spent the rest of the morning in Urgent Care just to be told he is completely fine and it's normal (and good) for babies to get sick during the flu season. The doctor was far more concerned with the darn circumcision!! I did learn that my baby now weighs 12 lb 3 oz. Since the doctor didn't seem worried about Ashton, we decided to still go to the Christmas party at my mother-in-laws for the big Smith get together. We headed over early to exchange gifts with the first cousins. Ashton was being fussy and unusually clingy to me, so I figured he still wasn't feeling well. Not too much later my stomach was feeling off, so we rounded up all our stuff and left the party early. Halfway home Dave made me pull over on the side of the road so he could puke. So began the worst night of my life as a mommy. It is not fun having both parents puking sick at the same time. Dave was in charge of Spencer and I was in charge of Ashton. I somehow think Dave was luckier. It took me an hour and a half to get Ash to bed because I had to keep running to the bathroom. My sister and her husband were sick as well, so I am assuming we caught the virus that attacked us at my grandma's Christmas day. Thank you to whoever so nicely passed that particular Christmas present along!!
Besides the virus that so violently attacked my family (passing Spencer, thank God!!), it was a great Christmas. Spencer is at a fun age now where he is starting to understand the concept of Santa and really enjoy Christmas. I'm not sure about my boys, but this mommy is exhausted!
