Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Santa Came...

Looks like Santa came.

We left cookies and milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer with the hopes that he would visit us and he did.

Conversation before Kyle came downstairs:
Mommy: Kyle do you think Santa came
Kyle: No
Mommy: Do you want to go and see if Santa left any presents?
Kyle: No
Mommy: You don't want to get up and go see if there are any presents for you?
Kyle: No
Mommy: Do you want to get up and wake Grammy up?
Kyle: Yes, I do

I suspect it will be a different story next year.


There was much excitement once he realized these were all for him.


Then the opening frenzy began and lasted all morning.



We stayed in our jammies until lunch time and got to play with some of the new toys before we had to head out to my Aunt's for Christmas dinner. He had a great time and so did we. It is so much fun to see the magic of Christmas through Kyle's eyes.


Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas Eve


Oh yeah and my birthday too!!!

I got a new camera...which means I basically took 300 pictures in one day...using all the settings...and wearing out a full battery charge.

Kyle said happy birthday to me all day and wanted to know when we were going to have cake - he loves cake.

We hosted Christmas Eve with my parents, Brad's parents, Chris, Mariko, Natalie and Mariko's parents from Japan...it is becoming quite a tradition that they join us at Christmas which works out nicely.

The kids had a good time opening gifts
Natalie got fairy wings...

Grammy and Grandpa spent the night and we read Twas the Night Before Christmas and left Santa cookies, milk, and carrots (no meatballs), then it was off to bed.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

It looks like...

dog poop...

It must be in their genes. Why is it that all boys think potty humor is hilarious...no matter what...at all times...from the day they are born.

Me: Time for dinner
Kyle: Oooo what are we having Mommy?
Me: Chili
Kyle: (taking a spoonful out of his bowl and pouring it back in) Looks like dog poop
Hysterical laughing begins now
Me: What did you say?
Kyle: (between hysterical laughter) Looks like dog poop
Me: It's chili

I know...I will never win.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Christmas Tree Decorating

These were done before I started blogging...this is why they are out of order, but I was feeling festive and wanted to post them.


Singing Christmas carols very loudly and with much animation.



We ended up with one branch with six ornaments on it...but he had a great time. We drank egg drunk (this is what Kyle called egg nog - I don't know why but it was definitely an appropriate name) and listened to music and played with all the ornaments. One of Kyle's favorite ornaments is a horribly ugly orange dog that was mine when I was little. Santa brought it one year and for some reason I loved it and made my mom put it on the tree every year. Surprisingly, she gave it to me when I left home and I have clearly passed the magic of the orange pom-pom dog to my son.

The Big Beer Store

Around this time of year we run a lot of errands and try to incorporate the fun Christmas stuff where we can. This past weekend was no different. Friday night we went to "Lights on The Bay" at Sandy Point State Park. It is a big animated light display that you drive through. Kyle was really excited - he was in his jammies outside of the house (for some reason he always wants to go outside in his jammies), he got to see Santa Claus, and he had his first taste of a candy-cane which he loved. The lights were really nice and we listened to Christmas music the entire drive. The rest of the weekend was spent doing errands and yard-work and then on Sunday we decided to go to see the train display at Homestead Gardens. They do a really nice display of a bunch of different trains, tunnels, village houses, and lights. Kyle loved it. On our way home we stopped to get lunch and then decided to run up to the big discount liquor store to get our supplies for Christmas Eve and the rest of the year.

Kyle likes rolling through the aisles and we always try and stock-up because it is cheaper - he calls it the big beer store. As we are filling our cart with wine, Kyle says "Mommy do we have enough wine?" and "Wow mommy that is a lot of wine". I really didn't think anything more about it until Monday. Riding in the car with my in-laws on the way to their house all is quiet until my son pipes up loudly from the back-seat "We went to the big beer store this weekend!"

Apparently that stuck with him - oh yeah did I mention we also made and decorated ginger-bread cookies on Sunday....



Monday, December 17, 2007

Christmas Surprises

I decided to start blogging. Everyone is doing it - it is all the rage. In actuality, I discovered that the older I get, the less ability I have to recollect all of the little everyday events that make having a two and half year old memorable. So consider this my 'corporate memory'.

It seems appropriate to start this at Christmastime, there is a lot to talk about. Kyle is completely and totally into Christmas. He loves the music (we have been listening to Christmas music on the radio for three weeks straight), he loves the lights, he loves decorating, he LOVES Santa, and he loves all the Christmas stories. He also loves presents and everyone has been trying to involve him in the present making or buying...there is one little concept he doesn't quite get and that is the word "surprise". He gets very excited about doing the projects or going shopping, but the poor boy just can't keep a secret.

At dinner the other night I was asking him about his day out with Daddy. They went to get a haircut and had a lollipop and saw Santa Claus at the mall - as he was telling me all of this he got a big grin on his face and promptly exclaimed "and we got mommy slipper-socks". My husband told him that was a surprise (yes I asked for slipper socks) and Kyle just smiled big and I laughed and playfully asked what else they got Mommy. "Bear jammies!" he exclaimed - even more proud of himself. My husband claims I am ruining Christmas and that he is never taking Kyle shopping again.

Kyle's teacher puts together a monthly class calendar to discuss all the activities they are doing for the month. This month there were three days with "Secret Santa" activities. I of course assumed this meant they were making the parents some secret project. Even though I know most of the activities they are doing in school, pulling the info out of Kyle when I pick him up is like pulling teeth - a lot of this: Mommy: "What did you do today" Kyle: "I don't know". I am sure he is practicing for his teenage years. When I picked him up this week he needed no prompting and exclaimed "I made a card for Mommy and a card for Daddy - its a surprise!"

Lastly, today I picked him up from my in-laws and he took one look at me and said "I made Mommy a present and Daddy a present", then he looked right at his Grammy and started to laugh. It is hard to believe this is the same child who will look right at you point blank and lie about having to use the potty. Maybe 'surprise' will be a concept that sinks in next year, right now I am enjoying the Christmas magic in our house.