Christmas 2006

This year's Christmas included a lot of firsts for us. The first time we ever put a Christmas tree on a table so that Brendan-boy wouldn't attempt to eat, pull, drag or climb the tree. This was also the first year that Julia really understood Santa. This made it a lot of fun. We talked about Santa, how he would get into the house. We left cookies and milk for him, and of course we wrote a letter.

Ever since Thanksgiving she's been asking how long until Christmas, so we had been counting down. Each time we asked her what she hoped Santa would bring she replied "the race car movie and a race car and the race car book." This was all in reference to the movie "Cars" which she'd never seen but she likes cars and I think that one of her buddies at school, Tony, has been talking it up.

Christmas morning she woke at around 7. I was not ready to get out of bed and just hoped that I could get her to climb in with us for a bit so that I could sleep more. Ok, selfish, but if she wasn't thinking of Santa and Christmas yet that morning was it really that wrong? My sleepy head told me "no."

So she climbs in with us and I think that this might actually work. It worked. For about 30 seconds. She remembered that we should go and check to see if Santa made it to our house. So we dragged our sleepy selves out to the living room with her and I'm happy to say that we got around in front of her to see that totally excited look on her face! She was so happy! She jumped up and down and just couldn't believe it! Of course she immediately wanted to open something. Brendan was still asleep and since I am not a fan of waking a sleeping babe, he slept while we opened all but his presents.

Here are a few photos from that morning.

One other note, Julia goes to Wizards games with Andy and loves the mascot, G-Wiz. There are a couple of photos of her opening him. While at the game she'll watch a bit of the game itself but really likes to watch G-Wiz. I guess from time to time he'll come out and she'll see him and then he'll go back onto the concourse or somewhere where she can't see him. A lot. So she kept asking Andy where he was going. Andy simplified things by telling her that he was leaving because he has to go potty. It got to the point that he'd leave so much that she'd ask Andy, "again?" Just not imagining that someone could have to go that much!!! So on Christmas she opens G-Wiz and is so excited, and then realizes that she had better check to see if his pants are dry. She's thrilled when they are, and throughout the day would give us updates on G-Wiz and the potty.

She also got her "race car" from the movie. If you click on the 5th photo down you can see how excited she is.

Finally there's a photo of Brendan with the new dish scrubber I got in my stocking, in his mouth (one of his favorite new things to chew on), and playing with the stacker that we've had since before he could remember. :-) Just goes to show that it doesn't always take something with bells and whistles to interest a baby.

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!