 | Diary Navigation:
|
Introduction
Karen had the day off on Christmas Eve, but by the time it was all over, she certainly felt like she'd done a lot of work. She started her day in the kitchen, making scores of cookies and other baked treats using whatever batter was left over after Nathan's search-and-devour missions. I, on the other hand, bounced from one unrelated preparation project to another, pausing every now and then to snatch a hot-from-the-oven cookie or to dodge Nathan as he ran by me with a stolen spoonful of batter. Sometimes it seemed like there were so many things to do that we'd never accomplish everything.
After Karen and I finally sat down together and figured out how to use our new digital video camera (our gift to each other and an item discussed in more detail below), she took Nathan to the candlelight service at the church. He decided that he wanted to stay in the "kids' room" instead of going into the sanctuary for the service, which was probably a good idea on account of all the candles in there! I'm not sure he would have been able to resist the temptation to go from one pew to the next blowing them out. Nathan hadn't had a nap that afternoon, so he was a pushover when it came to bedtime. Karen and I had far more difficulty when it was time to assemble his big Rescue Heroes Aquatic Command Center later that night!
But all of our hard work was well worth it, as the Rescue Heroes set was the one toy he returned to most often on Christmas Day (although this phenomenon might be explained by the fact that it was, by far, the largest present he received! It took up almost an entire coffee table.) Nana and Pete were the first arrivals on Christmas morning and were quick to take on the role of playmates for Nathan. Nana offered up her services as characters in distress so that Nathan could direct his Rescue Heroes to save her. And Pete squared off against him with plastic swords and armor for a little living room jousting action.
Aunt Stephanie and Roger arrived next with, of course, several more bags full of presents and they were followed closely by Grandpa's contingent: Grandpa Doug, Uncle Nick, Uncle Kevin, Deb, Laura and Megan. By this time, the house was so full of toys and playmates that Nathan barely had the brain cells to get a handle on it all! He sat down in the floor with Grandpa, Kevin and Laura and opened one present after another for what seemed like forever. Then, it was all we could do to get him to stop long enough to eat some dinner. Fortunately, though, it took him quite some time to gobble up three or four servings of ham, so we all at least had some time to enjoy the group-effort dinner constructed by Karen, Deb, Nana, Pete and Stephanie.
It was sometime during the long dessert period that I realized something alarming. I had taken a lot of video that morning of the celebration, but I had only shot a few still photographs. I'm still not sure what effect this is going to have on the presentation of pictures on Nathan's website, but I'm open to suggestions! And speaking of the video, Nathan has quickly developed a fondness for watching himself on the televised playback. My current plan is to create a sort of video yearbook to chronicle Nathan's comings and goings, and to distribute the tape in time for Christmas next year. With the video yearbook in mind, I shot a post-holiday "interview" with Nathan after all of our guests had gone home, and I got some really priceless material. One day I'll learn how to use the editing software so I can share it with you!
It certainly seems like the days that have passed since Christmas were busy and full, but I have very little to say about them in terms of concrete activities. Naturally, there was the post-celebration clean-up, made even more complicated by the abrupt realization Karen and I had that we need to have a yard sale and we need to have it SOON. Just as the office had turned into an important area for reorganization before the holiday, we have focused much of our attention on Nathan's room in the days since Christmas. After all, if he is going to have a couple of hundred toys, he's just going to have to learn to keep most of them in his room from now on! Our house was beginning to look like a Toys R Us there for a little while.
Have a happy and safe New Year!
 |  |
|
want to keep a diary on iParenting?
Authoring a diary on the iParenting network allows you to chronicle your family's story, preserving it for years to come. It's also a great way to get the most out of the iParenting community. Click here to start...
|
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families. 
