In Search of Myself: Feelin' Christmassy

Ok, I'm FINALLY going to write about why I'm feeling Christmassy.

After my Christmas ponderings post from a few weeks ago Ctgblogbear_christmassy_1 and the great responses I got from it, I figured out a few things I can do this year to make Christmas special for Jake. One of them is to let him have his own little Christmas tree. I finally found some at Walmart for $4.88 (gotta love those random prices), so I bought two: one for Jake, one for me.

Last year I started buying some adorable little Christmas ornaments. They came as sets of 5 or 6 in little 3x5 boxes -- I got Hello Kitty, Powerpuff Girls, Precious Moments, and Strawberry Shortcake. Lou didn't want me to put them on the big tree because they were so "girly" so I said "FINE. Next year I'll just get my own damn tree." And I did. This year I got the little ornament sets of Care Bears, Sesame Street, and little snowman (which Jake picked out.) These are for his tree. I also picked out two star tree toppers for our little trees (which cost 97 cents each.)

We got home from W and Jake insisted on getting the trees out immediately. He had SO much fun helping me decorate them. I'm keeping the trees in the living room just wherever we happen to place them -- on the kitchen table, on Jake's little table, beside the couch, on the high chair when we run out of room . . . I let Jake do whatever he wants with his tree. I want him to enjoy it, instead of putting it out of reach. He knows which tree is his, and which one is "mommy's tree." (He says that! It's so cute! He loves to point to his and say "Jake's.") Sometimes he pulls a few ornaments off and brings them to me -- he really likes the Care Bear ones. He'll get two in his hand and say "nuh one" (another one.) I tell him to put them back on the tree, and he does.

Next weekend we'll get out the rest of our Christmas decorations -- the stockings, the bigger tree, and my favorite: the picture of him at two months old, in a big Christmas stocking from Picture People. (I know that half of your have that same picture of your child). It's in a big clear plastic frame that looks like it has red and green sprinkles inside. Lou's Aunt Julie gave us the picture and frame as a present when Jake was a baby (she "borrowed" him for the afternoon and came back with it), and it's my favorite Christmas decoration ever. I can't wait to pull it out again. When I do I'll try to scan it to post here. I'm also going to take Jake to the Hallmark store and let him pick out a new ornament (or two). I know they're expensive, but they are fun and as my sister Sheri pointed out, it's something special that he will always treasure so it's worth it.

As for presents? I'm goin' with just the Rescue Heros guys (ok, I bought another one, because it had a guy AND a dog AND a video for like $10 -- and we don't want the fire-guy to be lonely!), some Sandra Boynton books (Jake is obsessing over the ones we have and I love her books), and a few little things to put in his stocking. And of course a pair of new pajamas to be opened up on Christmas Eve (so he can wear them to bed that night!) The road trip we will take to see Sheri is like a present for both me and Jake, because visits with family are so much better than a physical gift (anyway, gas there and back is going to cost as much as several toys would!)

So I've decided not to stress about the holidays. My piano recital for the girls will be Dec. 12th. They've been playing Christmas music for 2 weeks now and they're all doing well. We'll go see Sheri the weekend before Christmas. I'll bring out all my Christmas CDs and play them in the car during the season, and we'll watch the Charlie Brown Christmas and whatever other Christmas videos we might have around the house (note to self: search through the videos. The bookshelves, too, I'm sure I have books about Christmas.) Christmas this year will be about fun and chillin' out together. And trying to get a picture of Jake wearing a Santa hat.