Christmas Pageant 2009

Tabernacle Day Care Christmas pageant was last night, Sunday December 13th. This was your second pageant and you were a pro. The first year, when you were in the baby room you were a cow. This year, in the blue room, you were a donkey. Here are pictures of you and your bud Will in your costumes before the big performance.




When I dropped you off in the blue room to get ready you started to cry. A lot of kids were crying. There was tension in the air for sure with teachers and parents rushing around. Your grandparents, dad, and I went and got our seats in the chapel and waited. First the cows came out, then came the sheep, and then it was you leading the donkey pack. I thought for sure you all had rehearsed this, but apparently not. You looked out at all the people and walked slowly across the front of the room with a few donkeys wandering behind you. You weren't scared at all - you seemed pretty curious about everything. After the donkeys came then came the pilgrims, and then the angels. You all sat in your designated groups while the angles sang a few christmas songs. It was very sweet. Afterwards, we all went down to the rooms in the basement to chow down. It was good food. You and Will did not eat much and went off to run around the little stage they had in the room. You both ran back and forth, then you ran out of the room at one point, and into the kitchen with Grandma Jester chasing after you. That was your favorite part of the day!

Hypnosis by TV and Santa

OK - you love the TV a little too much. It is like one day you were just completely hypnotized by it and ever since then you beg to watch. I would say it has been about the last month and half to two months that you decided TV is awesome! You mainly want to see Elmo. So maybe it is an Elmo obsession, but you seem happy with basic Sesame Street or Bolt. You even watched the Polar Express with Grandpa the other night. Oh, speaking of that. Two big things happened this weekend. You and I spent our first night apart. You spent the night over at the Grandparents house for the first time. It went ok. I think you did better then I did overall. It was strange for me, but I managed. I just need to practice here and there. I mean I know someday you would probably like to not live with us, so I have got to get myself ready. I may only have you sleeping under the same roof with me for 16 more years. I did get to sleep in until 9 a.m. and that felt wonderful. I could use more mornings like that. So then on Saturday morning the grandparents returned with you and we all went to the children's museum to get a picture of you with Santa. Grandma dressed you up so cute. You came in with a red sweater with a reindeer on it and red converse. Everything was too big for you, but I could have eaten you up right there and then. By the time we got into the main room you could tell it was nap time for you. We didn't time our visit very well. Grandma tried to coach you on what to say when Santa asked you what you wanted for Christmas, which was... Elmo. You liked that answer. I could tell it wasn't going to go so well. You were quiet while I held you and we talked to the snow queen, but when I tried putting you in Santa's lap all hell broke loose. You did not like that. Santa just asked me to back up, he held you tight, they took the picture, and I swooped you up again. But oddly as we were walking away from Santa you got more agitated. You started saying stuff that I couldn't understand and it seemed directed at Santa. I wasn't sure if you were mad at him or what. So I went back up the ramp a little ways and you calmed down. I asked you to tell Santa what you wanted but you just stared at him. When I walked away finally, you got all upset again. So we headed for the exit and got you a snack and some juice. You sat with another little girl with her grandparents, ate, and recuperated. She was even more traumatized by the whole Santa experience then you were. I think she was scared of Santa. I don't think you were scared of him. You just didn't want me to put you down. After that we enjoyed some time at the Children's museum. It is a fun place with lots to do. We will have to go back soon.

Here's the picture:

Playdate

ok - I am late on reporting this, but better late then never. A couple weeks ago we had a playdate with William at Coffee and Kartwheels in Cary town. It was so much fun - even though we got kicked out for a kid's birthday party sooner then we would have preferred. When we first got there there was one other kid your age and you and her just sized each other up the whole time. You didn't seem overly excited about the toys and indoor playground until Will entered the store. Wow! What a drastic change in your personality. You lit up and became totally energized. You and Will took off for the indoor playground like two madmen. You chased each other, and went down the slide together. It was a rock climbing slide that was really meant to climb up not to slide down on, but you both ignored the bumps and continued to treat it like a slide. Where ever one went the other soon followed.
You and Will have been in day care together since you were both in the baby room. Once you both moved to the Walker room you became good play buddies. They actually moved you both up to the blue room together to ease the transition. Apparently you had a harder time with the transition then Will did. You were pretty grumpy about it for a week or so. This was really the first time I or Will's mom Kristen really got a chance to see you both play with each other. It was so much fun to see how confident it made you feel in a new setting. I only ever see you interact with kids you don't know so well. Like kids we meet at the park or Steph's kids. You are pretty stand offish with new kids. It takes you a while to adjust or get completely engaged in an activity in a new place or with new kids.
Afterwards we sugared you both up at Ben and Jerry's. You both tore the place up a bit running and taking things off shelves. It was time to go, but we had a blast. Can't wait to do another playdate again with Will!