Christmas 2013 - Phase 1

This post is going to capture the early part of December (and some of November) for Christmas "prep." Since Nathan was born I have typically done a terrible job of getting everything ready for Christmas.  The tree goes up at the last second. Presents are bought a few days before we have to leave town. You get the idea.  So this year, with a new baby, I decided that we were going to get things done early.  See how that makes sense? (yeah, me neither)

In early November we decided we wanted to make Christmas plates for the grandparents again. We did this for Nathan's first Christmas, and I wanted something similar with Olivia's little tootsies. Let me tell you, the pottery painting experience is quite different when you ramp it up from one kid to two. Hence, there are only a few pictures to capture the event. You're lucky to get that much!

"Hey lady, that tickles!"

We got Nathan this little penguin to paint and keep him occupied while we worked on the plates. He put about 10 layers of paint on his little head and shoulders then got bored with it. 

Nathan's turn!

Successful mistle-"toes" plates!

On the weekend before Thanksgiving Jimmy and Nathan went and bought a new tree to replace our "newlywed" tree that was getting a bit scraggly looking. They decided on a pre-lit tree that is taller and fuller than our former tree. Despite the additional ease of not having to actually wrap lights, the set up of the tree this year was done in phases.  Phase 1: assemble the tree (good job, Daddy!).  Phase 2: decorate lower front quarter of the tree with 20 ornaments (good job, Nathan!) with appropriate supervision (good job, Olivia!).  Of course Mr. Independent wanted to get the ornament out of the barrel, put the hook on it and hang it on the tree all by himself.  I must have heard, "I do it" ten thousand times.

Daddy skillfully putting together the tree while Nathan skillfully pops the bubble wrap.

Unpacking the ornaments.

Good job, Daddy!

"I do the hook.  I do it!"

Mr. Independent

Mommy with her patient pants on.

The best looking quarter of the Christmas tree ever!

Finishing touches.

After an appropriate two-week interval, we decided to finish decorating the tree. Nathan helped for a while, then lost interest and I was able to decorate the top part of the tree. Nathan of course put the star on the top with Daddy's help. I promise this was much safer than it looks.

A victory such as getting the Christmas tree up more than two and a half weeks before Christmas called for celebratory cupcakes. Oh, it was also my birthday - that might have had something to do with the cupcakes. Close call really.

Christmas cards this year were the usual staging of the kids in front of the tree. Since Olivia wasn't sitting up by herself yet, I put her in the bumbo for balance and tried to get Nathan to get in next to her for some loving brother-sister shots. The results were mixed...

Predictably, I got the cards made right away and even got them addressed in a reasonable amount of time. Then I only had 20 stamps.  So twenty cards got put in the mail and made it to their fortunate recipients before Christmas. It finally took my mom, in the guise of the Stamp Fairy, buying stamps and mailing them to me before the any more were delivered. [Author's note: The rest made it sometime around Valentine's Day....probably lost in the mail or something. Don't judge.]

Next installment...Christmas!