So naturally, to that point, I shall document (mostly through pictures) Leo's very first Christmas season. This is a doozy of a post, you are forewarned.
Let me tell you though, with a baby around, everything was all the more magical. Magic a plenty all up in here. I can't even imagine how it will be once he actually understands what all the fuss is about. I'm sure the magic will multiply and be combustibly bursting as each year goes by. At least I hope so, childhood feels like such a small window of magic these days. So I plan to make the most of it. Let the hot chocolate flow, the twinkle lights twinkle, the carols be belted... just let Christmas explode with Christmas-y goodness in excess. More is more.
[A gigantic (sigh) pause is in order here as I am writing this in mid January which is just the blah-est of blahs].
First off, to kickstart the season, we headed up to Drysdales tree farm, a family tradition (here's last year and the year before). In recent times, Roberto and I headed up solo but this year some of the fam jam wanted in on Leo's first experience. Which was more fun for us than it was for Leo, who looked pretty much miserable most of the time. He was stuffed into his snowsuit and then stuffed into the baby carrier. And it was cold. And he was teething. But as his usual easygoing and awesome baby self, he did not cry or complain and went along for the holly jolly ride. PS - He's an angel baby.
This was always one of my favourite Christmas activities/outings growing up and I hope it will be for Leo too. Again, once he knows what the heck is going on. There are tractors and horses and wagon rides and marshmallows for roasting. La la la la la la la laaaaaaaaa. He will love it, he will. And if he doesn't I will force him with my overbearing Christmas enthusiasm.
At the end of it all, you have a freshly chopped tree for the homestead that just smells like Christmas, all warm and fuzzy like. It's the best.
When we got home from the tree farm, we decorated the beast and officially welcomed in the Christmas season at our casa. In order to impart some new traditions as well, I decided that from henceforth we would always decorate in our Christmas pajamas to get the party started. Just that extra lil' dash of festive goodness.
The entire day made my heart swell. Something I've done my whole life took on such a new and deeper meaning with a child to share in the experience. It really did. Just when I thought I couldn't possibly be happier, throw a kid into the mix and every memory gets instantly trumped a gazillion times over with a simple flash of their smile.
^^^we finally got an angel this year too, attributed to the abundant amount of mall time on my hands as a maternity leave lass
Another yearly Christmas happening is our annual ugly sweater party. Unfortunately, this year it also coincided with snowmageddon and therefore was slightly on the smaller side of things. Though festive nonetheless. And actually turned into a slumber party of sorts due to poor driving conditions. So I wouldn't have had it any other way.
^^^aren't we splendid?
The week after snowmageddon came the ice storm. Basically everything froze over and it was like all of nature itself was suspended in ice. Literally every surface was frozen. It caused power outages for most of the city as all of the tree branches were so heavy with ice that they were snapping off and falling onto power lines. Thankfully our house was okay and we never lost power or had any fallen branches of any kind. Surprisingly, as we live in an old area full of big ol' trees. My parents lost power though (and the tree in their front yard), so for a brief moment there, I thought we would end up having the yearly Christmas Eve celebration at our place. Thankfully, all turned out well and Christmas Eve carried on in the usual and most wonderful way.
Christmas Eve is always at my parent's house and it's the highlight of our celebrations. The whole fam jam is there and we indulge in a fabulous fish feast. Afterwards, over coffee and dessert, the kiddos engage in a riotous bout of pestering the adults to finally start the opening of presents. My dad usually plays Santa and doles them out and it's just such a joyous event, a whole over the top hearty hoopla. Now with a baby thrown into all of the craziness.
Which is in itself crazy, nevermind. So many Christmas Eve's as a child myself, now for it all to come full circle with a child of my own. A new generation. Sometimes when I sit and think about it, it can really get trippy. Time and how fast it flies. So I try not to do that too often. Life is funny. I give my head a shake and a stern 'just be in the moment' to avoid any philosophical pangs.
^^^the gifts needed to pass Leo's hand to mouth test
As for Christmas Day, it has now moved up in the ranks of awesomeness to compete with Christmas Eve. Because now we get to wake up with a kiddo and watch him open his presents from Santa. Bringing Santa back. Again, Leo doesn't care whatsoever yet (Santa who?). But he will. Oh he will. With me for his mother dear, he will.
Christmas Day is special now in that it's not the hullabaloo of Christmas Eve. Quite the opposite. It's quiet and it's just for our little family of three. I do miss the Christmas mornings with my own first family unit, with my parents and my brother. And even those few Christmas mornings where it was just the hubs and I. But such is life. And this was kind of even better maybe. Watching the magic unfold in someone else's eyes is like a double dose of the magic for yourself. A happiness overdose.
However, the hubs didn't really get to experience any of this abundance of Christmas magic - as he woke up with the flu. Leo and I discovered this as we overzealously jumped on the bed to wake him up to open presents, only to find a sloppy sweaty mess. The good sport that he was, he woke up long enough to watch Leo open his gifts and to take a family selfie. Then he was off to bed to sweat it out and Leo was off for his nap, while this mama settled down to a lonesome cup of tea.
The fireplace (channel) was a blazing and it started to snow outside. And I'm not going to lie, some happy tears slipped out. It was just this perfect joyful little moment. Even though it turned out to be a bit of a flop of a Christmas Day and we missed the festivities with Rob's family, I was just so full. In that moment, I was so full to the brim with all the happiness of my life. This was a Christmas for the record books, a year I will hold very dear to my heart for always. And I hope that I will get to say that every year. I hope that time will grow my life's happiness exponentially, rather than diminish it. Yes time goes by fast, but what a wonderful thing to have - time. There's that line in the Judy Garland song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" that always gets me - Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow. And that's what I need to have on repeat in my head and in my heart.
Over and out Christmas 2013!
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