Christmas 2010

This was a really fun Christmas for our family. P is starting to understand more about the holiday, from "Jesus's mommy, Moses, and the baby Jesus" (clearly we're still working on Bible knowledge) to Santa and presents.

While P loved getting presents (Is there a three year old who doesn't? Shoot, who of any age doesn't?), this year was the first year he was very excited about giving presents, too. He spent all of December wrapping anything and everything "up like a present" and delivering it to someone. He even asked me to help him wrap himself in a towel so he could be a present. We took a trip to the dollar store and let him pick out presents for each of his family members (including my sister's dog, Tucker), and he was very thoughtful and deliberate about each item that he chose. Seeing him get excited about the giving as well as receiving of gifts will always be a special memory for me.

We had a whirlwind holiday season, starting in Morganton with visits from Tiffany, John, and Tucker and Grandma Paige and Poppa Fred. We played, talked, laughed, ate turkey, and opened presents.

I'm sharing a few Christmas morning pictures (trust me, there isn't time to look at them all!) here.

P worked hard at opening his stocking. I made a stocking for each of the boys, and both times, they weren't ready until their second Christmas. I took it a little at a time, but I got there! My mom made a stocking for me when I was young, and it's one of my absolute favorite Christmas items. I knew from the time P was born (probably before he was born, actually) that I wanted to make a stocking for each of my kids, too. Hopefully my kids will enjoy their stockings for years, just like I have.

I didn't take any pictures of the stockings individually - only "action shots", so to speak - but here's a photo of C checking out the goodies inside his stocking.


While P opened presents with true gusto, C was more tentative. He picked up on P's excitement and was happy to rip his share of wrapping paper, though.


Of course, we took some time out to enjoy our new gifts.


The next two photos are visuals I'll keep in my head - and heart - for years to come. The boys really enjoyed playing together this Christmas. They didn't just play side by side, but they really interacted and were playing with toys as a team.

That said, the boys still had to check out each others' gifts every time one was opened. The present routine was pretty much the same every time one was opened: P and C were each given a gift to open. P opened gift A while C opened gift B. Immediately after the two gifts were opened, P asked C to "share" gift B so he could "look out it". C then picked up gift A and played with it. Since both boys were happy with the arrangement, I was happy too.

I mentioned already that Tucker was visiting. The boys loved having Tucker (although Tat wasn't thrilled), and I have to say I have really missed Tucker myself, because I've had to go back to sweeping under the table after every meal. C must have fed him even more food than I realized, because he's been feeding Tat from his high chair since Tucker left, and since Tat doesn't eat table food there is a lot of food on my floor! Not only did C feed Tucker from his plate, he also shared his pacifiers with him. More than once Tucker found a pacifier on the floor, and then I would see Chase about to put it in his mouth with it in his mouth. He survived the sharing unscathed, though.


I hope your Christmas was filled with family and fun, too!