The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

So, while we are waiting for Little Miss Cranberry to make her appearance, we are trying to let Nate enjoy this holiday season as much as he can if she wasn't on her way. That started with putting up all of the Christmas decorations and going to pick out a tree. He didn't care a lot about which tree we got (though he did give final approval) but he got a coloring book and a candy cane out of it, so he was happy! When we finally got around to decorating it he seemed to be more interested in playing with all the ornaments than putting them on. But he LOVES the lights!

Nate putting on his tractor ornament from last year 

I end up putting on most of the decorations while the boys...

Have to have a little fun too!

Casey wants in on it!

We have also been having fun putting stuff in the advent calendar for him. Mostly its been coins, but he's also gotten a pair of Mater Christmas socks that he never wants to take off, and a couple of puzzles. He really seems to like doing them and he's impressing both me and Peter at how well he does all on his own. (These are the real deal interlocking piece puzzles-Rudolph and Charlie Brown, not the Melissa and Doug wooden peg puzzles he seemed to master awhile ago.)

Last week we went and walked around a little town a couple minutes from us that is known as "Christmastown USA". All of the houses along the main street decorate for and they light up the lake, have bells ringing Christmas music... People wait in line for hours to go through it. Both this year and last year we decided to do it on a weeknight right when it got dark so the line wouldn't be too bad. That seems to be a good way to do it as we haven't had to wait at all either year. We park our car and walk through the town instead of just driving it to make it more fun for all of us. To be honest I've seen better decorated neighborhoods and if I had to wait in line I probably wouldn't, but its a local tradition and something to do. I think the best part is that people who are driving by us with their windows rolled down or van doors open will yell out Merry Christmas or wave. That's something that seems to be unique to the south!

Nate seems to be very into Christmas lights this year because he kept asking to go again. We gave in last night but only drove through this time. (Although maybe we should have walked because last week I think I was having some contractions as we went through.) Then we went to see Santa (we wanted to make sure he got to)! We have an awesome Santa here, he really looks like the real deal, and his wife dresses up as Mrs. Claus. But I think the best thing is the photographer. He really works with the kids to make sure gets a good picture. Last year Nate wouldn't sit on Santa's lap so we had to take the picture with him on a stool. This year we had no problem! He was laughing at everything the photographer did to get the other kids to smile and even tried his own techniques. So, by the the time it was his turn he was ready to go!

Merry Christmas! All I want for Christmas is that school bus behind you and a sucker... since all the other kids have gotten one!

Now we are kind of in a waiting game and just hoping we don't end up spending Christmas in the hospital. Also trying to figure out what Nativity fixture he can dress up as on the off chance we go to a  Christmas Eve children's mass. His cow costume is probably a little small this year and I'm pretty sure there weren't red engines around back then.