Monday, January 3, 2011

Christmas Eve

My family celebrates Christmas Eve. We are Polish - and Christmas Eve is the big day. So Nicholas, Abby, and I went down to stay at my mom's house for a few days (Jon was super busy with work, so this had the added bonus of giving me people to help with the kids).



My grandmother always tries to make me put away the camera. But it was Christmas Eve and she was holding Abby so the camera came out. And what a great shot this is!



When we arrived a few days early my mom and sister already had Nicholas' presents out and wrapped. We decided early on that Santa comes to the house, and Grandma, Great-Grandma, and Aunt Debby/Uncle Wayne get to give presents from themselves because Santa wouldn't visit Grandma's house.

He got books, a car play mat, boxes, Bob the Builder Legos, new pajamas.....and a car. Every book he got he immediately wanted my mom to read to him. He would unwrap it and say "Read this one Grandma." Then climb into her lap and sit patiently while she was reading.



This is the car. He drove it around the house. In fact, he drove it all around the evening of the 23rd (when he got it). Wayne was just going to give it in the box and make Jon put it together, but my mom begged to have him put it together - so he did. Wayne brought up his tools and my sister set out to put all the decals on. When who should appear but Nicholas - "Uncle Wayne's tools?" he asked. Then he said, "I want to help" and proceeded to pick up the power drill. Wayne took it away, and my mom gave Nicholas an ice cream cone to get him to leave Uncle Wayne and Aunt Debby alone to assemble the car. It turns out the helping takes a poor second place to ice cream when you are 2.

In fact, when he went to bed that night, he asked if his car was parked. Then when he woke up the next morning the first thing he did was run out to his car and start driving it again. And he drove it when he got it back to Sacramento. And every day we take a "drive" around the block in the car.



And, due to poor planning on my part (I figured 2/3 a can of formula was enough for 3 days), we had to go to the store to get formula. My mom wanted to go to Toys-R-Us. There were also other assorted problems which made Toys-R-Us, which happens to have a baby/maternity section inside, the best option.

There my ever resourceful son picked up even more construction trucks. Because he didn't have enough already, he now has a full set - complete with a crane, road signs, cones, and barrels.




And this is Lofty - the Bob the Builder crane. The set also came with Scoop. And a booklet of all the other Bob the Builder Lego sets which he tried to convince his Aunt he desperately needed.

Needless to say, Nicholas raked it in. Abby did too - but her stuff came early (like when she was born). Jon and I got free baby sitting - which is the best gift we can get most times.

Christmas Eve was a blast!

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