Belated Xmas Wrap Up!
It’s taken me a little longer than last year to write a Christmas round up, well, mainly because the post Christmas-I’m-fed-up-with-anything-Christmas feeling I get lasted a little longer than usual. Don’t get me wrong, we had a wonderful and happy Christmas with family and friends. Things couldn’t really have gone better, but I think the Xmas burn out is due to the fact that this year was Sam’s first real Christmas. Last year, he was like a bump on a log, sitting and watching all the merriment and traditions happen around him. He barely touched some wrapping paper. This year was a completely different story. He’s almost two, and the hyper-active, ever inquisitive little guy was fully in the Christmas spirit: which burned us out!
He had his fingers in everything! Let it be Melissa and I wrapping gifts in front of the T.V. in the basement, or cooking
in the kitchen. Sam was there to sample, fiddle and disrupt all. He figured out Santa Claus was a good guy and never shed a tear when he sat on his lap (two times this year!) . He also got to indulge in some of Mom’s awesome holiday cooking. No dessert was safe if placed on a low-enough table or even the edges of a higher up kitchen counter! Sam hikes up onto his tiptoes to let his little fingers crest the top of the counter and begin their blind search for… well anything! Many gingerbread men have lost their lives this way 
We’d find the bodies laying in Sam’s toy bin or under a couch, the heads or limbs missing…sniff, it was terrible!
Speaking of the toy bin, I think we’re gonna need a bigger one as his toy collection grew (like our credit card debt) over the holidays. Amongst all the books, crayons, clothes and other nifty gifts, Sam got two gifts that I had when I was a tot: the Fisher Price farm and the Fisher Price parking garage! Sam loves these two toys and plays constantly with them. We have freakin’ Hot Wheels cars flyin’ out of the parking garage ramp, rolling through the dining area, only to rest up next to a cow in the barn. Hot Wheels are NOT friends to busy parents, especially Dads with big feet. It’s akin to a teen leaving his skateboard in the driveway… yeah, I can’t wait for that either! 
Another great gift: My PJs can kick your PJs ass!
Born to ride: tattoos and biker babes are forthcoming.
While Sam loved ripping open presents, even those that weren’t his, the big, big winner of the season was all the Christmas lights. This kid would go blind looking at those lights if we didn’t stop him. Talk about your “deer-in the -headlights” syndrome. You want to get something out of his hands without as fuss?
Turn on the Xmas lights!
You want to keep him from crying in the car?
Show him some Xmas lights!
The best, however, was when Sam figured out that flicking the red button on the power bar beside the tree turned the lights on and off… Well, you can imagine the rapture he was in! The first time he figured it out, Melissa and I are in the kitchen getting supper ready and Sam was coloring on his play table a mere ten feet away. We’re chatting away all the while listening for any signs of trouble from Sam. After a few minutes of unusual quiet coming from Sam’s area, meaning he’s up to something, we decided to check up on him. We turned to see what’s up as the silence usually indicates one of two things: a parental law being broken or poop time. Upon turning towards the living room to spot the little guy, we see the Xmas tree blinking on and off at an unusual interval… riiiight. A little investigating found Sam hunched down behind the couch with a huge smile, and his little index finger, straight as an arrow, flicking the power bar button on and off. Cute… If only his other straight-as-an-arrow index finger wasn’t buried hilt deep in his left nostril…
Overall, the holidays blew by and left us exhausted in their wake. No matter how much we think we are in control with all the planning and organizing, once everything is done, you realize you made it through regardless of how your well-laid plans turned out. My one, brilliant plan for this holiday season did go as planned for once. I splurged a bit on my holiday budget (Santa helped a bit) and got Melissa something she’s been wanting forever…
She’s a Mac girl, so I indulged her with her very own! We had promised each other to only get little gifts, but I can’t obey a rule like that with all she does for me and Sam! Come on folks, that wouldn’t have been fair! And, besides, she’s on Santa’s “Nice” list, which is tough to do for an adult these days… She was all surprised/ mad/ happy/ crying/ threatening/ grateful /worried when I gave it to her on Christmas morning, but as you can see in the above pic, she got over that quick. 
Maybe I’ll post the video of her opening her gift on Christmas morning… Hmmmm
Well, it’s been a long one and I guess it’s time for bed… Oh! What? You want to know what I got for Christmas? Well sure I’ll show you… Hold on I got a pic here somewhere… Ah yes, here you go… Better than all the Fisher Price farms, kick ass pyjamas and iMacs you could unwrap under the tree… I got these incredible gifts that just keep on giving, no matter what, every day of my life. I hope your Holidays were are fulfilling as mine, I really do, because all the tinsel and wrapping in the world can’t warm my heart a like big bear hug from my son or a tender kiss from my love.
My gifts: They kick ass too!
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even better for steping on that hot wheels cars is the lego brick OWW!