Christmas 2010

We stayed home for Christmas this year. It was hard not being with our families, but it was nice to be home for the holiday. We will make up for it when see all of the grandparents in Colorado next month.

Christmas this year was so much fun! Elliot was very excited about Santa and the prospect of new toys. On Christmas Eve Elliot, Beatrice and I (Mommy) when to the children's service at the church where Elliot goes to pre-school. It was a very nice service and both kids were VERY well behaved. Unfortunately, Elliot didn't like the music. He told me it was very sad, perhaps he would have liked more Joy to the World and less Silent Night. He was also disappointed that there was no cake. It was, after all, Jesus' birthday.

After church we had spaghetti for dinner. While Elliot was eating his dessert, I heard a thump in the fire place.

Me: (very serious) What was that? I think I heard something.
Elliot: (also very serious) Where?
Me: (trying not to laugh) In the fireplace.
Daddy: (also trying not to laugh) We should go look.
Elliot: (Screaming and running from the kitchen) SANTA'S HERE! SANTA'S HERE!

We found two packages in the fire place marked, "To: Elliot and Beatrice, From: Santa's Elves." The elves had delivered Christmas PJs. After baths and three Christmas books (Olive the Other Reindeer, Merry Christmas Curious George, & The Night Before Christmas), Elliot and Beatrice went to bed. I thought Elliot might be up all night, but he went right to bed when I told him Santa wouldn't come until he was asleep.

Everyone was up and ready to open presents by 7:30 AM. Elliot told me that he "heard Santa and the penguins." I am not sure when penguins became a part of the Santa mythology. Mariana was a trooper and joined us at 7:45 AM to open presents. Elliot loved passing out the presents and loved opening presents even more. He got more toys than he could possibly need, including a monster truck - per his letter to Santa.

At 2:30 PM Frank and three Brazilian girls visiting Mariana joined us for dinner. Brian made a feast of short ribs, gravy, risotto, french bread, and salad (made by me). By 5:30 PM we were all stuffed!

Of course I didn't take as many pictures as I should have, and it was very hard to get Elliot to stand still for more than a second.

Elliot showed Beatrice how to use her new little kitchen

Mariana helping assemble the Legos

Day after Christmas, Beatrice with two of her new toys

Scooter

She doesn't go great distances, but Beatrice has figured how to scoot. Her technique is sort of a modified commando crawl. She still prefers rolling from point A to B, but she'll use the scoot if she wants something in front of her, especially if that something is the remote control.

A Visit With Santa

I took Elliot to the Mall this morning to visit Santa. I wasn't sure what to expect since this was his first trip to see Santa, and he can be quite shy around strangers. Well as the picture proves, he was not shy about meeting St. Nick. Elliot told him that he wanted Legos and a train for Christmas, and that Santa should not go down the chimney because it is dangerous. I think we'll wait until next year for Beatrice to meet Santa. Mommy saw too many traumatized babies in line today.

A White House Christmas

Yesterday Elliot, Beatrice, Mariana, and I (Mommy) got a very special treat. A friend of Daddy's got us on "the list" for a White House Christmas tour! I took a half day and we all headed to DC to see the White House decked out for the holidays. Elliot and Beatrice were very well behaved and both seemed to like looking at all of the trees, lights, and decorations.

The tour leads visitors through a small part of the white house that is TOTALLY decorated for Christmas. Elliot's favorite part of the tour was the miniature version of the White House that is made out of white chocolate.

You can see more of the White House Christmas decorations here.

Letter to Santa 2010

Elliot is pretty excited about Christmas this year. We have been counting down the days on the Advent calendar, decorating the house, and talking about baby Jesus and Santa. Today we wrote our first letter to Santa. He dictated I scribed:

Dear Santa,
My name is Batman Farnum and Elliot. And Dinosaur. I play with trains and stuff thats good. I love my sister. She is Beatrice. I would like a train for Christmas. I would like one with a smoke stack, coach, and a big whistle. Like the one Mariana gave me.

I really want a monster truck because they really do tricks. They have big tires. I want a blue one. Blue is my favorite color. I want a ball and a hitter for golf. Maybe a real one. I want a pretend kitchen and a drill too. I want a kitchen so I can fix the sink.

Beatrice wants a little race car. Maybe she wants blue. Maybe she wants a trimmer (Mommy could not figure out what this is) that goes up and down. Beatrice will like that. I also want little scissors to cut.

Thank you Santa. I want to go to the mall to ask you. Good-bye. Don't go down the chimney because it is very dangerous.

Love,
Elliot