Christmas 2008

Does the Nugget understand Christmas yet?  Not really.  But he knows how to rip open a present, grin at assorted relatives, and eat cookies, so he was more festive this year than he was at his first Christmas when he mostly just spit-up.

Last year, I was pretty busy with my gift basket business but it didn't really matter, because the Nugget couldn't sit up yet, much less enjoy seasonal fun.  This year, we wanted to start some Christmas traditions for our boy, so we...

-Picked out a potted tree together.  We decorated it like a cut tree, but will plant it outside when the ground thaws.

-Visited a farm for pony rides.  The "ponies" were actually quarter horses, so the Nugget had to do the splits on Pretty Girl, and I had run on tiptoe, holding him under the armpits to keep him on Pretty Girl as she walked around the arena.  He sure did love that horseback ride!  Luckily, he was satisfied with one ride, or more specifically we did not explain that additional rides were available, because there was no way I could have repeated that stunt.  Ah, the joys of having a 1.5 year old - he still accepts what you offer and rarely begs for more.

-Went downtown for our (FREE) picture with Santa and some Christmas treats from the local chocolate factory.

-Drove to a Christmas light display at a botanical garden.  They had ice sculptures, a gingerbread village, a model train, and live music.  The Nugget liked the live music (folk singers) the best and clapped after each song.

-Hosted a family party for my moms' meetup group.

-Went to Grammy and Grandpa's for a week, where he pulled in quite a bit of Christmas loot, terrorized their kitty, went to the zoo, mugged for the camera, set off Grammy's animatronic snowmen about a zillion times, terrified his aunt and uncle with drool, begged extra cookies off gullible relatives, and generally had a wonderful time.  The Nugget loves everyone, and especially adores his Grandpa, who has a way with young children and animals.  My sister claims it's the pitch of his voice.