Christmas 2014

My First Christmas!

Oh, Christmas. We love you. Isn't it wonderful to celebrate the most amazing event - the birth of Christ, God himself coming to rescue us - with the wonderful traditions of family, friends, food, music, presents, movies, cookies, and pajamas? We are major fans around here. There is a little girl in our house that is going to be LIVID when the tree comes down. Never mind when the lights aren't on the house anymore! I think I'm going to have to slowly phase out the decorations - a tree here, a nativity there - to avoid a shock to her system.

Last Sunday was the Christmas Eve program at church. Our darling behaved exactly as expected. She knew all the songs and actions word for word, and did not make use of any of that knowledge. Slightly overwhelmed by the people and lights, she stood on the steps, sucked her finger, and pulled her shirt up around her chest (the very reason she was not in a dress - thanks, Lilah, for the adorable outfit!). It struck me how tiny she looked, and reminded me that even though she is the queen of sass and has the vocabulary of an eight year old, she is still really just a baby girl. 

Overwhelmed was an understatement.  But she didn't cry, stood where
she was supposed to, and listened to her teachers.  The video of her
doing nothing is really the best.  Isn't that what's expected when you're two?

We started Christmas Eve with each of us opening one present. Izzie got her shark slippers, and she was the most gracious and grateful little thing there ever was (I should have remembered this moment better later, when I wanted to strangle her). I opened a set of knives from Izzie (aka Daddy), Levi got a book from Mommy (duh), and Bryan opened his present from Izzie - a giant Olaf cup and a blue glow stick. She picked it all out herself, and was so excited about the blue glow stick that she told him what it was instantly. We let her pick out presents to give this year to try to help her learn generosity and that gift giving is a reciprocal process - not a one way street to Izzie!

Next was going to church - usually my favorite part. However, since a very emotional two year old and a very squirmy four month old were my companions, I spent a lot of time on the foyer and the wiggle room. Rats. Sometimes being a parent is lame. Here is where I should have remembered the shark slippers so I wouldn't have felt like such a hopeless mother.

Then at home later Izzie set out a cookie and corn for the reindeer. After that, the little ones were off to bed and Mommy became Santa. Snowy boot prints, cookie crumbs, spilled corn, and a note. Plus the arranging of the presents - the most important part!

On Christmas morning we awoke to our surprises from Santa. Then we opened the gifts we had gotten each other in our little family. Izzie got Levi a hedgehog piggy bank, he got her puzzles. Bryan and I each had a few presents from her, and she opened a Frozen blanket, a helicopter, and a superhero mask and cape. Levi got a puzzle, and not much else besides Santa presents, because really, who are we kidding?

Is this a flash forward fourteen years?  Is she giving me "the look" as she
speeds away in the car, sunglasses a top her head?  It sure feels like it...

Whew.  There's the two year old.

"What do you propose I do with THAT?"

She kept this on for quite awhile -- it even made it's way to Auntie Brittany's.

The piggy bank.  She was so proud.  Even put money from her own bank in it for him.

Then, my babies did this and it was like my best Christmas present. Melt. My. Heart. I'm keeping them forever.

We'll save the rest of the festivities for another post.