31 December 2011

Recap Part Deux.

This week has been a long, leisurely one spent playing, pretending, imagining, dreaming.  And watching endless loops of Winnie the Pooh. In the middle of the week, we visited Grammie and Grampie to celebrate the second part of Christmas.  It takes the G a little bit to warm up and get his bearings.  He surveys the room, makes sure that the ceiling fan is still in the same place as the last time he visited, and then finally cracks a tiny grin and usually heads straight for Grammie.  This time however, it was Grampie who was his pal for the day, especially when Grampie made popcorn as a snack.  Somebody LOVED it.

And so...the recap.



























27 December 2011

Some Assembly Required. A recap- part 1.

Christmas has come and gone in its typical whirlwind fashion, leaving behind crinkled wrapping paper and empty boxes in its wake.  The days leading up to Christmas were filled, of course, with much anticipation. Not so much from G, as he's still too young to 'get it', but more for his dad and me...the excitement of our youth now transferred into watching G begin to learn and understand what this time of year means. 

Topping off the start to Christmas weekend was G getting his first official haircut.  I admit, I had been the one holding off on this major event.  It took so long for G to go from a head so plagued with cradle cap, to then this bowling ball with the slightest hint of peach fuzz, to a mane of glorious wispy golden hair.  I didn't want to let go of that.
But the time had come, and this milestone was passed.  He did well, sitting in the salon chair, a royal purple smock draped over him (and me) as I held onto him, making funny faces in the mirror and plying him with snacks.  Soon enough it was done. There before us was such a grown-up looking boy, tho the twinkle of mischief still evident in his baby blues.

Christmas Eve is one of my favorite days, especially when it falls on a weekend like this year.  We woke up slightly later than usual, got dressed and ready to meet our friends for breakfast.  How cute to see G and his buddy N, sitting across from each other in their highchairs, banging spoons on the table, and babbling back and forth to each other. After breakfast, a few last minute errands, trip to the grocery store, and then back home for a relaxing day of music, snacks, and family.  Mine was a family that went to Christmas Eve Mass instead of on Christmas morning, so I follow that tradition with G and T and off we went for SRO at the St. John's in Brunswick.  We finally managed to score some seats up in front, on those lovely hard silver chairs used for any event or function. Better than no seat.  Somehow we kept G entertained to last through the Mass.  Maybe it was all the beautiful lights and colors, maybe it was the booming voice of the Priest delivering endless jokes along with his Christmas message, or maybe it was just simply the stash of food I had in my purse that kept G occupied for the hour long service.

When our own sugarplum was tucked into his crib, and T and I had finished our fantastic Christmas Eve meal (succulent steaks with roasted potatoes and a caesar salad), we set about to begin the daunting task of putting together one of the two 'big' gifts we had gotten for G.  His very own kitchen. Of course, the fear is always that half way through it's realized that one part is missing.  Thankfully, that was not an issue and all parts were in their proper place.    Nearly two hours later, it was complete.

Fortunately, the second gift took about five minutes to complete.  Easy.


And with that,we were done.  Thank goodness I had spent the week leading up to Christmas wrapping just a little bit each night.  I'm sure in years to come it won't get any easier, but at least now, I can wrap and leave in plain sight and he's still too young (and too short) to see them piled on the desk or end table.

Strangely enough, that night, G, the usual perfect sleeper, awoke twice during the night.  Once around 10:30, which after a quick soothing and diap change, was not a big deal.  But then again at 12:30. And that time, he was wide awake, protesting loudly, and wanting nothing to do with his crib.  Thinking that maybe he needed a snack, he and I crept downstairs, where I whispered that Santa had indeed come, and with his munchkin bowl filled with cheerios,we sat down by the tree to nibble and look at the lights.  He seemed to barely notice the wrapped delights that awaited him under the tree. About half an hour, we went back upstairs, and after a few tries, finally went back to sleep. 

Christmas morning.  We wake! Daddy's downstairs ahead of us. I bring him into the living room, and his eyes light up---a look I won't forget too soon.  It was like he was thinking, wait a minute! THAT wasn't there yesterday!  And so it began.























Christmas was relaxing and leisurely, filled with much play, many giggles, and plentiful snuggles.  It snowed.  The perfect ending to a perfect day. 

Now the week before us....we're all home.  We're playing, we're watching endless, and I mean ENDLESS rounds of Winnie the Pooh.  I think I've got the script and songs committed to memory by now.

Part 2 of the Christmas recap will show the delightful day spent at Grammie and Grampie's house.  Popcorn, puzzles, and trains, oh my!