' Tis the Season

Sorry for the gap in posting. I have been really busy lately - between decorating for Christmas and tons of homework. Also, I was sick for part of the weekend, but I'm better now.

Gabriel is so excited about Christmas. In his opinion our outside Christmas lights and our Christmas tree lights should be on all the time. Then again he also thinks sleeping is only for dark time, unless it is like 5 in the morning and dark, then he's not tired anymore. Personally I'd happily sleep in until 10, maybe noon, and take naps.

Our tree is covered in ornaments, including small non-breakable ornaments on the lower branches that Gabriel put up. What this means of course is that they are at the perfect level for one small baby child to pull them off the tree and stick them in his mouth, as that is where EVERYTHING must go. Not that he doesn't have plenty of age appropriate toys perfect for putting in his mouth, he does, I assure you, but his toys are not nearly as interesting as those hanging from the Christmas tree. Hence the gate around the tree. So festive...


The stockings are hung by the chimney (er gas fireplace, no chimney) with care. The Christmas movies are stacked next to the DVD player in the family room. The manger scene is set up (all the inn, and the Three Wise men with their caravan) - very cute, its Fisher Price Little People, which translates into chewing for Nick and noise making to Gabriel (when you press the angel on the manger it plays the tune to Away in the Manger). We also put up a Little People Night Before Christmas set, which consists of the North Pole, an elf, Santa's Sleigh, Santa's toy bag, Santa, and nine miniature reindeer, the ninth of which, is most certainly not Rudolph (no red nose).

We also put up my advent calendar, or rather the advent calendar my mother made me when I was little and I inherited. It, however, is by the front door, which is gated off from the living room and playroom. If it were too accessible, it wouldn't last long - between Gabriel consistently wanting to rearrange the ornaments and Nick wanting to chew on the ornaments (see picture of baby with toy in his mouth, above)... so Gabriel can only put up an ornament when I am with him and Nick can't get near it.

Our next trick will be to wrap their presents. We have them all gathered in the basement, along with the wrapping paper, and bows, and name tags, but not one has come anywhere close to being wrapped. I also still need to get a few more little things for Pigpen, to include stocking stuffers. Not that he really understands the value of stocking stuffers. But it is a thing with me, as it was always important when I was growing up.

We, or I should say Pigpen, have successfully sent out our Christmas cards, as well as the presents for my parents, my brother, and his brother. So that's one thing done. We also have the appointment made and the outfits bought for the boys' Christmas pictures. Although we did take a home picture for the Christmas cards. We have been going to the same place since Gabriel was three-months-old, and I plan to continue until the boys are grown. They are more expensive than other studios, but I am always satisfied with the quality, and they allow us to digitally view our pictures and provide the prints the same day.