Santa Clause May Have Stopped at Our House.....Twice

Continuing with my December rewind.........Let me first say my name is Gina and I am a Christmasaholic.  That being said, having a very active three year old who is on Christmas vacation from school and an 8 month old rolling from one end of the room to the next is not conducive to a) Christmas baking b) putting up millions of Christmas decorations c) getting anything done.  This Christmas felt like a mad dash from one day to the next to fit in everything I wanted to do.....Welcome to life with more than one child:)  It was jam packed even with Scott being off work for TWO weeks!  I digress.....on to the Christmas festivities:

First, we got some reindeer food from a boy in Aiden's class.  Such a cute idea!  It was a little zip lock baggie with oatmeal and red and green glitter mixed in.  They left a note telling us to sprinkle it in our backyard on Christmas Eve so Santa's reindeer could find their way to our chimney.  It was a hit and I think we have a new family tradition.

Mama and Aiden making sure the trail leads through the yard to the chimney.

Aiden is the biggest ham I have ever seen.  My parents always said I was a camera ham, but this kid has to have me beat.  The "Christmas Ribbon" on his chest is a door knocker I made in FOURTH GRADE.  I am a sentimental sap, so I still have it.  For the past few years I have let Aiden decorate his room with some of our old decorations.  This is one of them and he insisted on displaying it as some sort of award or personal decoration while he took his picture with the plate of cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.  Such a ham!

And.....the reason for the title of this blog:)  Santa may have outdone himself this year.  It's a little hard to tell, but under the tree is completely full and things overflowed into the living room.....not to mention the stockings.  I don't think Santa knows how to budget:)

Aiden with his Nana and the scarf she knitted for him.  He loved it!

I had every intention of taking the obligitory pictures of the boys in front of the tree, but sadly I woke up the day after Christmas and realized that the picture below is the only one I have where they are both even in the same shot.  Mom duty: FAIL  Oh well, at least I have pictures of them.

A wonderful Christmas spread put on by my brother and sister-in-law.  It was such a wonderful meal!

This may be the first picture I have of just me and my brother, Michael, since about 2001.  Pathetic, I know, but here we are. 

Aiden's new "jumpoline" that Santa brought him.  Santa forgot to put it together and it took daddy nearly 2 hours.  Daddy says he is going to have words with the Elves next year:)

Next, I have a little update on this sweet little chunky monkey.  Miller has had quite the week!  He isn't crawling yet, but is going to any day.  He has the army crawl down pat and can get to anything he wants with no problem.  He will even maneuver around a doorway!  This week brought his first purposeful word.  I know he isn't even 9 months old yet, but I swear it has happened!  He has been saying dada and wawa (water) for quite some time, but they have just been sounds he makes.  Until yesterday.  I had made Aiden a cup of water and when I walked by Miller with it, he said "wawa" and reached for the cup.  Thinking it must be a fluke since he isn't even 9 months old yet, I went and got his sippy cup, put water in it and asked him, "do you want this?" and he said "wawa" and reached for the cup!  Crazy!  Later that day, we were at Chic-fil-A and he clapped for the first time.  Now he does it all day.  He claps and then sometimes will throw his hands in the air.  So sweet!  He also started pulling up on things this week.  This kid is ready to be on the move!

Wearig his new UGG boots Uncle Mike and Aunt CC got him for Christmas.

What a December to remember!  It's hard for me to believe that this time next year I will have a 4 1/2 year old and an 20 month old running around my house.  It reminds me of a poem my mom had etched on a stone in her kitchen for years.  A few years ago, after I had Aiden, my dad made me a copy and I ran across it the other day:

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'till tomorrow

For babies grow up, we learn to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep".

Still makes me cry every time I read it, but it is such a good reminder.  Dad always told me that he and my mom would give anything for my brother and I to be babies again and I know someday I will feel that way too.  I'm going to go kiss my babies......

much love,

Gina