Christmas 2010

I am somewhat exhausted after all the Christmas festivities, so this will not be a very verbose entry.

Lily's Christmas began the day before Christmas Eve in Louisiana. I decided it would be best for Lily and I to spend the time before Christmas with Ernie, so we were there for the two weeks leading up to Christmas then we all went to Charleston together. Before we left, Lily got to open all her gifts from Mommy and Daddy.

She really got into the gift opening aspect of the holiday this year. Even last year she grew tired of opening gifts after only a few, but this year she couldn't open them all fast enough.

Her favorite gift, by far, was her Easy Bake Oven. We left it in Louisiana, so unfortunately she hasn't gotten to play with it yet. I know, I'm such a bad mama.  But she had been begging me for one for weeks.  I was worried that it was too old for her, but she loves baking with me so much that I figured she'd be fine.  I'll tell you how it works out once we actually use the thing.

After she finished, she enjoyed playing with all her new toys for a a few minutes (I know again, bad mama) before we had to leave on our LOOOOONNNG journey.

Just as we were ready to go, however, she insisted on wrapping all the gifts she bought for everyone. I think she did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself. At least as well, if not better, than Ernie did on his gifts ;)

After making our way to Alabama to pick up Jade, we went to Charleston. The rugrats were thrilled when they woke up Christmas morning to see that Santa had left them everything they'd asked for in their letters to the big guy this year.

Top of Lily's list was a Rapunzel Tower, and let me tell you, this was not an easy one for Santa to get. It took the joint efforts of three families to find one. Finally, we were successful two weeks before Christmas. Now, I am not a patient person when it comes to Christmas presents. As soon as the tower was delivered, it killed me not to give it to her. I must have asked Ernie daily if we could just give it to her. Luckily, Ernie has much more patience in this regard than I.

Santa also left a V.Reader with several books, but this was more a request from Mama than from Lily. She dug it, though. She is still trying to figure it out, but I think it is the coolest toy EVER. Definitely worth the price (only $60, if you're in the market for one.  It is fabulous!)

The gift she wanted almost as much as the Rapunzel Tower was the Rapunzel doll where the animals help braid her hair. Let me tell you, I HATE this toy. It is the most obnoxious, difficult-to-care-for doll ever invented. Her hair is impossible to keep neat, it is deuced difficult to attached her hair to the animals to "braid" it, and no matter how careful you are, the hair always gets tangled when you try to braid it. But Lily loves it, and I suppose that is what is important.

I love this picture. It shows her excitement every time it was her turn to open a present. She was dancing with it, barely able to contain herself. I know presents are not the most important part of Christmas, but it sure was fun watching the chaos of opening all the gifts Christmas morning. Everyone was there. Niecy and her two boys, Jade, Nicky, Silvia, Jordan, and even Butch and Jennifer and their boys came. It was a regular Hamilton Family reunion.

After all the gifts were opened, the kids (and yes, I include Ernie and Butch in that group) went outside to test out all their booty. What resulted was an all-out nerf gun war.

This war, as you can see, was very serious business.  It lasted for at least two hours, continuing on and off throughout the day.

Lily, who is her Mama's child, took no interest in the juvenile antics of her cousins, uncles, daddy, poppa and sister and instead had fun playing on her own.  When we visit Lousiana, she doesn't have a yard to play in, so she took advantage of being home to play her little heart out in that huge yard.

Jaxon joined her at some point and they both had a blast running around until dinner. 

I forget when I am away from Charleston how nice it is to have a big yard for Lily to play.

By the end of the day, she was so exhausted that she litterally keeled over in the middle of playing with her toys.  One second she as up and giggling, and the next she was passed out cold on the couch.

It was a great holiday and Lily and I were very grateful to finally spend some quality time with Ernie.

Having Jade with us was a big highlight and we were so lucky to get to spend Christmas with her this year. Even if it was only for a few days.

I know I'm a week late, but Merry Christmas to all of you.  I hope yours was as fun-filled and utterly exhausting as ours.

Christmas carols from the bug

Lily wanted me to record her singing Christmas carols. At first she was shy, but then she really got into it. I had to splice the video, though, because Lily decided it would be hilarious to shake her booty at the camera after each song. I can thank her uncle Lucas for teaching her that charming fete.

Make a little magic

Normally I make homemade gingerbread and we decorate a train for Christmas, but since it is just me and Lily this year, I bought a cheap gingerbread house kit.  It wasn't nearly as tasty a my gingerbread, but our gingerbread house decorating party was still fun.  Hopefully we'll get to do a proper gingerbread train decorating party once we get to Charleston.

She didn't like eating the candies, but she loved decorating the house.  She was very precise in how she wanted everything placed. 

The frosting was my contribution and candy placement was Lily's.

I think her door shows quite a lot of imagination.  You will notice, however, that there isn't much candy on one side of the roof.  When I mentioned she may want to put more on the neglected side, she said no, that it was perfect.

The door was complete with Christmas lights and a wreath.

I'm not certain, but I think I *may* have put too much water in the frosting mix, as evidenced by the drooping windows and shingles.

But Lily still loved the frosting, watery and all.  If I'd have let her, she would have eaten all the leftovers.

The finished product. We decided to name it our psychedelic hobo shack.  Predictably, Lily's first question was "When can we eat it?"

So the kit wasn't as pretty or as tasty as our homemade gingerbread, and I really wish I'd had the forsight to buy extra candy, but I don't think Lily was too disappointed.  And we both had a blast and got to spend time together making some Christmas magic.  That alone makes the project a success.

O Tannenbaum

We finally picked out a tree.  Here is the one Lily picked out because it was, according to her, "just my size."  I don't know why she looks so sad in this picture.  She was practically bursting with excitement the entire time.

She had fun searching the lot, insisting on smelling each tree and declaring they smelled like Christmas.  Some people associate Christmas with frankincense and myrrh.  Others with cinnamon and nutmeg.  My daughter associates it with evergreen trees.  I wonder who she got that from?

She was so excited that I could barely get her to hold still for a couple pictures.

Her favorite part of the entire experience, though, was when one of the other customer pulled a balloon from her purse and made a red balloon puppy for her.  Lily named the puppy Shaggy and talked about her gift the entire way home.

Before we could decorate, we had to water the tree.  Lily took this job VERY seriously.

And of course, it wouldn't be a proper tree decorating party without milk and cookies (technically, we had egg nog too, but no one drank any.  Vile stuff, egg nog.).  Lily also took this job very seriously.

Do you like our Dollar Store ornaments?  I'm rather proud of them myself. 

Although I love making wreaths and hanging lights, trimming the tree is my favorite part of Christmas.  Opening the ornaments and transforming an ordinary tree into something magical.  This year, Lily decorated the tree almost entirely by herself.  I helped with the top portion and the lights, but she did the rest. 

I think she did a rather nice job of it.  And now I am satisfied with our Christmas preparations.  We won't actually be spending Christmas around our own tree, so it is mostly ceremonial.  Still, I am glad we finally gave in and got one.

It seems to add just the right touch to the room.  Even if it is only three feet tall.

And did you see these super cute slippers I picked up at Target?  I heart them.

Today I leave you with one of my favorite Christmas diddies for your listening pleasure. Merry Christmas everyone.  May it be filled with joy and laughter.

Ignorance is...

Asking questions makes kids strong thinkers. I get it. Truly, I do. I've read books on child psychology that say if you dont answer the endless questions your preschooler asks (or at least attempt to) then they will be socially awkward and afraid to ask questions once they start school. But I can't help thinking there is such a thing as too many questions.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Lily's inquisitive mind. I have no problem answering her questions. Usually. But it is the unusual situations that I have trouble with.

What makes a situation unusual, you ask? Well, imagine a little something like this:

Setting: Lily is watching Fern Gully while I unload the dishwasher and make lunch.

Lily: Mommy, why is that man eating cake?
Me: Because he likes how it tastes.
Lily: Why does he like how it tastes?
Me: Because the ingredients are all mixed together to make it taste yummy.
Lily: Why does it need ingredients?
Me: Because without ingredients, it wouldn't be cake. It would just be air.
Lily: But why would it just be air?
Me: Because there would be nothing in it to make it cake.
Lily: But why can't you make cake out of air?
Me: Because there is only oxygen in the air and you need flour and eggs and sugar and all sorts of things to make cake.
Lily: But why?
Me: Because you can't change air into a different substance.
Lily: Why not?
Me: Because it is against the law of physics.
Lily: But why?

Finally, I gave up and just told her it was the way things were, which is really just a variation of the dreaded and oft maligned "Because I said so." This happens to me several times a day. I try to be patient, but I feel like I'm answering the "But why?" questions All.Day.Long and sometimes my supply runs dry. Does that make me a bad mother? Am I hindering my daughter's inquisitiveness and ability to be a critical thinker? Probably. But somehow, I'm okay with that.

I console myself with something I heard about ignorance being when you answer every question that is asked of you. I doubt very much this bit of advice was intended in relation to a three-year-old, but I'll use it regardless. I still have guilt, but it is diminished by my new mantra.

Now that I've revealed my bad mommy moment for all and sundry, I'll leave you with this happy moment. Beautiful, yes? Not only does she have a great voice, but I love that video. Between Carmen Consoli and Joanna Newsom, my playlist is full of music that just makes me happy.

A pearl is the oyster's autobiography

I don't like to brag (stop laughing...seriously, stop), but I'm pretty sure my daughter is brilliant. Now I've discovered she is talented too. Here is her picture of a queen, a princess, and a King.

Brilliant, right? A regular Picaso, that kid of mine.

Oh yes, and in keeping with the Christmas theme of my December posts, here is a song for your Christmasy enjoyment.

The color of winter is in the imagination

I have been really sick all week. Not fun. Especially when you consider I just got over being sick at the begining of last week. I have not been sick in almost two years, and now I am sick twice in as many weeks.


So what does one do on a cozy, grey day when mommy can't get off the couch? You have hot chocolate and snuggle up watching Christmas movies, of course.

If I have to feel like death, it helps to have such a sweet kid around to make me feel better.

Hitch a ride on Santa's sleigh

At long last, we decorated for Christmas.

Well, after a fashion.

We still haven't gotten around to getting a tree. I am begining to think this year will be a tree-trimming-on-Christmas-Eve kind of year. Ernie will be home from work the day before Christmas Eve, and it really isn't as much fun to pick out a tree without our entire family here. But we did get a few decoration, including a tree for Lily's room.



She was so excited to have her little tree, complete with her homemade decorations. I let her keep the lights on last night and she didn't voice a single complaint when it was bedtime.

Before we could put up the decorations, we had to clean. Or rather, I had to clean while Lily snuggled up on the couch with her blankey reading Llamas in Pajamas. (ps: doesn't that picture just make you happy? I can't help but smile every time I look a it.)

But once we were rocking out to Hannah Peel's Hey Santa and drinking peppermint hot cocoa, she got in the spirit of things. So now it is feeling happy and festive in the Hamilton household. At least in the family room.

Today the plan is to make Christmas goodies with the bug, then put together a gingerbread house. Lily is so excited. This year has been delightful watching her get excited about all the Christmas rituals. There is a reason its called the most wonderful time of the year.