A Top Ten, for the love of the Holiday Spirit

Yesterday was a super fun, tradition filled day of family Holiday get readiness. We took the kids to see Santa, got our Christmas Tree, and decorated the heck out of it. Mostly the bottom branches but it looks good. Little full, Lotta sap. Looks good though. Instead of explaining the events in detail, I've come up with a Top Ten list, or recap if you will...

10. Alex: 'MOM, you GOTTA try this hot chocolate' in a total valley girl meets munchkin kinda way and Ian saying 'PERFECT' after each ornament he placed on the tree. Even though, seconds later it would fall off and I'd have to re-apply.

9. Sean: I'm really feeling the Christmas Spirit. Me: What? You never do. Sean: I love the Christmas Spirit.

8. Ian on Santa's lap, keeping his face at a safe '2 foot' distance from his face. Back stiff, eyes wide, no speaking. When asked what he wanted for Christmas his reply, 'DOG'. Which is either a large, hairy, smelly and needy animal we already have, or the name of his security blanket he sleeps with. I suspect the later.
7. Sean taking 7 years and a day to get the tree down. Kids standing silently just WAITING.

6. Finding the perfect tree in the 'already cut down lot', but 'for the experience' trudged up a huge icy hill for a lifetime memory where remarkably, Alex was just as picky as me. 'Too tall, too fat, big hole there, bad top, crooked trunk, bad coloring, kinda dead inside....' We eventually amazingly found one that is nice, real nice.

5. Comparing every tree on the icy icy, cold and slippery hill to 'already cut down tree' in the lot very close to our car.

4. Saying, She'll see it later, her eyes are frozen.' And meaning it.

3. Me leaning over in the backseat to help Ian with his seat belt, and accidentally hitting the gas to the floor. I thought it was a really loud and annoying weed wacker and after seeing Sean waving at me through the back window screaming 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?', realizing it was me.

2. Alex frantically screaming 'HELP, it hurts' from the other room and finding out she had an ornament lodged in the back of her tangled weave of a hairdo.

1. After loading the car with an absurd quantity of Costco goods, we pulled out of our parking spot to find ourselves blocked with a shopping cart that had rolled out of the cart return. Sean, threw his hands up and said, and I quote, 'NICE'. Clearly he was irritated and mocking the idiot fool that did not put the cart FAR enough in to where it wouldn't roll out. Well, as I got to looking at it, I realized that not only was it the only cart in sight, it had a blue seat not red. JUST LIKE OURS. It was the same cart Sean had just returned. Needless to say, I laughed mostly all day about it repeating his 'NICE' remark. A priceless moment I will mock him for for the rest of our lives.

Every year as the kids get older, these traditions get more and more fun and we get better and better at making them successful. I'm happy to report that for the first year our tree did not fall over, yet.

Where in the room is Ian Patrick Kolmer?

I don't know, maybe I'm the only one that watched 'Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego' as a kid. If so, sorry for the lame title but I found it funny.

It's been a few weeks now where Ian has been sleeping in his big boy (toddler bed). Thankfully, this transition has been much easier with him then it was Alex. That could have something to do with the fact I don't also have an infant to care for, but still. He's proven to be a bit easier in this regard.

HOWEVER, he is letting it be known by way of silent protest that although he will stay in his room, he will NOT go to sleep in his bed. After demolishing his room, he usually settles to sleep on his own within 30 minutes or so. See the below photos of 3 consecutive nights of checking in on him before I went to bed. For added fun, try out your 'I spy' skills and try to spot his turtle.

First night he tests the waters. Maybe if my head is on the bed, it's cool.

2nd night (and this is my favorite) he completely protests and sleeps on the foor with his head on hippo. Love the empty bed.

3rd night, he apparently fought it so hard he tried the chair. 'Stay up to defy the parents-fail'.