Christmas Day

I'm still in recovery mode from my recent surgery, and with snow beginning to accumulate outside and a napping kiddo down the hall, it seems like the perfect time to recap our low-key (but memorable) Christmas.

This was our first year thinking about what O.K. would wake up to.  I remember when I was a kid how magical it was to find the tree lit and presents underneath it on Christmas morning.  So while Oscar may not totally get that this year, I wanted to make sure we at least practiced for future years.  Here's our first attempt at creating a post-Santa Christmas morning tree.

 How'd we do?

 As we hoped, he noticed this first: a second-hand Kettler trike with a [very loud] bell.

And then, he noticed this: a wooden train set sent to him by his cousin, Grayson, and Uncle Dave.  Though this shot is blurry it was the only one I got with his head still up.  The rest of them looked like this:

head down, busy playing.

While he played, John and I had coffee and made some breakfast (blueberry pancakes).  Since O.K. still had no idea what all the wrapped packages under the tree were, he remained content to play while we woke ourselves up a bit.  But then, it was time for more presents.

Oscar started catching on that there were some pretty fun things underneath the colored paper.

 Eager to get the ramp racer out of the package.

A favorite gift of Oscar's was a big Richard Scarry book all about cars and trucks and other things with wheels or wings or both.  Such a BOY.  But a boy who likes to read (or be read to), so I'm glad for that.

After more relaxing, some lunch, and a nap, we decided to go for a short walk.  Oscar "rode" his new trike while John pushed (hooray for "parent handles"!).  It was COLD, so we didn't last long.

We hopped in the car, stopped at the park for a short visit (so cold!), and then drove around searching for Christmas lights.  When we got home, we made and enjoyed a favorite meal (baked chicken pasta with fontina and spinach, browned butter asparagus, and John's now-infamous toffee chocolate chip cookies), skyped with family at 514, and tossed O.K. into bed.  

Happy second Christmas, Oscar!

Lights, Trains, and Santa

We're establishing our Christmas traditions this year by doing some of the same things we did last year:  the light show at Macy's and a visit to see Santa in the Christmas Village at City Hall.  We took the trolley down with friends, David, Mara, and their 21-month old daughter, Lucy (one of Oscar's first friends).  Beforehand, we all went to Reading Terminal Market to check out a special train exhibit there (and if the trains are there next year, we'll continue that as a tradition as well).

The exhibit had plenty of buttons for Oscar to push (his favorite!).  Each button made something in the exhibit move.

Then we were off to Macy's to see the light show.

Oscar during the show...

And then when he realized it was over.

 At the Christmas Village, Lucy and Oscar watched the carousel.

And then on to the last tradition of the day: a visit and a picture with Santa.  O.K. high-fived the photographer and hopped up on Santa's lap, no sweat.  This kid is down with Christmas (and he doesn't even know about the presents yet!).  All in all a fun day -- and we're already looking forward to doing it again next year.

Oh, Christmas Tree

After some debate and research on fake versus real (weighing the environmental, safety, and economical issues), we opted for a real tree.  It didn't win on safety, and it may be a toss-up environmentally and economically.  But there's just something about the whole experience of going to pick one out (even if it is only in a parking lot down the street a ways) that makes it special.  Oh, and that fresh woody smell that fills up the living room is pretty sweet, too.

 So, a Saturday or so ago, we ventured out to find our tree.

 And we found it!

 Oscar helped with the decorating 

(please note how "helped" is NOT in quotation marks anymore--he actually helped!).

Daily he admires the tree and names the many objects and creatures hanging from it.  He is surprisingly gentle and doesn't pull at the ornaments.  The other night I was taking him up to bed, and I said, "Good night, tree," as we headed up the stairs.  When the tree was out of sight, Oscar started calling out sadly, "Tree, tree, tree."  A sentimental kid, for sure.