1. This Christmas we actually have to wait until Christmas to open presents. If you know me well, you know I have a hard time waiting for the exact date of an actual birthday, holiday, or anniversary to partake of that day's special festivities. I believe last year we gave Noah one of his big presents on Dec. 1 since that is the day it came in the mail. What difference did it make to an 18 month old? None at all! But this year is different...Noah is closer to 3 years old than not and he gets all the hullabaloo this go round. And like me, he would LOVE to dig in to the gifts under the tree, but for the sake of beginning and maintaining Christmas memories and all of such holiday protocol, we are waiting until the special morning. (but ten bucks says we'll be instituting a solid open-a-present-on-Christmas-Eve policy)
2. This Christmas we cannot speak as openly about Santa, presents, and other such secrets because Noah can actually understand what we are saying even if we aren't speaking to him or about him. This new toddler development is very confining to our conversations! So when the boxes arrived today with UPS, we had to speak of them by spelling them out and had to discuss when they would go under the tree and which ones would be from S-A-N-T-A, and whether or not to wrap gifts from said Christmas superstar. It is only a matter of time before he figures out what those letters mean...he learned at the ripe old age of 12 mos. what B-A-T-H meant and then we were up a creek!
3. This Christmas we have to actually plan where to hide presents, when to hide them, when to wrap them, and even where to put them when they come off the truck (today's predicament with our internet purchases). Noah is napping now, so Josh is quickly tucking them away in the garage. We never had to worry about this stuff before because Noah didn't know the difference. We could buy his gifts with him right there in the cart and parade them in front of him when we wrapped them and a week later he would be none the wiser. Not so anymore. Oh, the inconvenience of innocence lost. :)
4. This Christmas I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the holiday stuff there is to do with your child and there only being a month to do it all in. I am finding it hard to not want to show Noah EVERYTHING the season has to offer...and let's face it, you just can't. Yet we are still trying to fit in a visit to Santa on Saturday next, Festival of Lights this coming week, riding the Polar Express tomorrow, a Christmas parade somewhere or another, and maybe a trip to Gaylord Opryland to take in all those sights and activities, if not a quick trip to Gatlinburg just for the fun of it...all the while introducing Noah to the nativity scene and true Christmas story, holiday stuff like jingle bells, christmas carols, the Grinch, holiday movies of Thomas, Tigger and Pooh, Caillou, Elmo, etc, holiday treats, holiday crafts...ohhhhhhh, I think I feel a headache coming on. Just to relieve a little stress I returned a holiday outfit Josh got Anna last week because I didn't see how we would ever make use of it before Christmas got here.
I must admit though ... I am having more fun with the Christmas season this year than I have in a LONG time. Kids make it so much more fun and magical even if you can't do it all. One year at a time I guess. :)
Had to share this snapshot:
4 stockings? Are there really 4 of us now? Amazing what the years bring...I can still so vividly remember when it was just me just out of college. And now I have a chimney with 4 stockings? Wow. (but don't get me started about the dog paw stockings I couldn't put up this year...that really hurt my heart and put a damper on the moment)
Here is our little locomotive fiend who is chomping at the bit to ride the train tomorrow with his Daddy. It is really a trip on the Polar Express, but I can't say for sure he knows or cares what that is yet. He did go cuckoo over the movie today on TV, but again, I think it was mostly because he recognized the train.
4 comments:
OH MAN! I've been waiting for your next post, and that was such a good! Noah is so stinking adorable...Look at the huge smile of pride and joy in his face! LOVE it! I think about there being 4 stockings up too...time flies away doesn't it!
Our best hiding places are closets with child-proof handles on the outside of the door. I think Levi is only going to have about one surprise this year, though. I have totally failed at being sneaky lately.
I agree, Christmas is a whole new world as the kids get into the toddler years.
Oh, we are hopefully planning to come up to the Grinch Ice Show at Opryland. I'll let you know when and maybe we can meet up!
Alison: Ah yes, the ICE Grinch exhibit...we threw that idea around and decided to wait another year or so. But the babysitter we had the other night had only the best to say about it.
Let's totally meet up! And you can tell us how it was for Levi and Kara. I was thinking it would be too cold for taking Anna along just yet which was one half the reason we decided to wait.
The pictures are great - thanks for
keeping me informed on the "goings on "of the Tennessee Browns-Endulge
yourself, dear daughter-in-law, in
the joy of the Christmas season, two babies to love, and four stockings hung on the mantle - It is so quiet here this morning with
Papa on a short trip - I am looking
at Christmas decorations, thinking of gifts that need wrapping as I
prepare the study for Sunday School
tomorrow - I am remembering this
house with Nanny, Grandaddy, three
little boys, good food cooking in
the kitchen and people alwsys going,coming, or staying. Time
brings changes so quickly - enjoy
every moment - I love you.
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