The early part of December is always so busy with Christmas activities. I'm trying this year to think of Christmas not so much as a day but a season, if you will. It's a perspective shift, and I don't know if I'm explaining it very well. But I'm trying to find meaning in the different things we do together and not attack the items on a frantic to do list or think of Christmas as a "December 25th at 6:30 am" Event.
In that spirit, we put up the tree with Mickey and Dahlia last weekend. I love watching Jason haggle with the guys at the Christmas tree lot. It's pain and anguish for him, but he really does like a nice tree and you're never supposed to pay full price at a Christmas tree lot. The guy came down $10 first thing and we stopped our negotiations right there. Good enough. The tree turned out really cute.
We also went to the Festival of Trees on Saturday, which I love to do. I'm afraid Jason might never go with me and his Mom to the Festival of Trees again, because we both kept saying, "Oh, Jason, you could make that" and taking pictures like crazy. Like this stable scene. He could totally make that for me - right?!?
But we all enjoyed the pretty trees and the Kids Korner. I have to say how great it is that the price for tickets in the Kids Korner (4 for $1) is so reasonable. For $10 worth of tickets, each of the kids could have done 4-5 cute little crafts. I say "could have done" because Mickey quickly realized that the price of cookies at 1 ticket per cookie was a steal of a deal and he used 9 of his tickets to get cookies in a "to go" container. Stinker. But I really can't blame the kid. It was a good idea. And Dahlia wanted to spend her tickets "more wisely." She ended up making a cute snow globe, a reindeer ornament and getting her nails done, Anyway, yay for the Festival of Trees for cute, inexpensive crafts.
Saturday night we went to the annual Torgerson Family Christmas Party. Instead of Santa, the Grinch came to pass out presents this year. Which was awesome, but poor Mick was embarrassed because he happened to be wearing his Grinch sweater. He asked me, in all seriousness, if I'd brought a change of clothes for him in the car. Sorry, Mick, I don't have a diaper bag for you. Since you're 11 and all. But he decided to tough it up and sit on the Grinch's lap anyway so he could get his present. And sure enough, the Grinch loved that they were twinners. It was a fun kick-off to the Christmas craziness.
