Big Fat Christmas Post

Well Christmas certainly is a little different with an 18-month old. Owen was definitely more into the holiday this year, but still didn't really get the whole concept. He loved the gifts, and the tree, and of course the food. We loved watching him enjoy it all.

We started our Christmas quest looking for a good tree to put in the house. Owen got to work crusing down the aisles of trees and falling in the mud.
We got a very nice tree and put it up in the house, not knowing how he would react to it. He loved the ornaments and thought they were great little toys. We tried to put soft things or musical ornaments near the bottom where he could play with them and it wasn't a big deal.
And play with them he did. About a week after the tree went up, the bottom of it is pretty much stripped bare. The ornaments were taken off and he decided that the bead garland would make a nice scarf. He wrapped it around his neck and took off into the kitchen, almost toppling the tree and choking himself in the same action. Life with a toddler...
Needless to say I did not put up my fancy blue and silver glass ornament tree this year.

We had plans to go to Horseheads for Christmas weekend, but wanted to give Owen his big gift in Buffalo where it could be fully assembled. He got a train table complete with wooden train set. (yes the same train set as our famous Black Friday abomination)
We set it up a few days before Christmas so Owen could play with it for a little bit before getting all his other gifts.
I think Dad is having as much fun with it as Owen is...

We headed to Horseheads for the Christmas holidays. I was a big slacker and didn't get a picture of Owen in his handsome man outfit for Christmas Eve mass, but I will get some before he grows out of it. After church and pizza at my parents' house we got our milk and cookies out for Santa.
And had a few cookies ourselves...
Seriously this kid turned into a cookie monster this Christmas. He had them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everywhere in between. He would scream "Kook Kook" until a willing grandparent gave him theirs.

Christmas morning was the usual chaos, but instead of being infatuated with the wrapping paper and boxes like last year, this year it was all about the toys. Look at the frantic motion blur on this pic...
We all made out like bandits as usual. Owen got lots of new toys, trucks, clothes, and goodies. I got my Keurig coffee maker, Shark steam mop, and a new bag. Dennis got a new TV, some train stuff, and a nice wool sweater from Ireland.

We finished opening at Dennis's, then went to his Gram's for dinner, then went to my Mom's for dinner and more fun.
and some peek a boo with Aunt Sara
and more gift opening

It really is fun watching your child enjoying Christmas like we used to when we were kids. It makes me feel like a kid again too.