Before January ends, I thought I should document our Christmas of 2010. I'm just now recovering from all that's been going on the last couple months and finally feeling my energy come back. Since Thanksgiving, we've been helping Eliot through some pretty rough, "mystery" illnesses (meaning, hundreds of dollars spent on testing later, we never found out what was causing his troubles). I'll spare you the gory details, but let's just say potty training has suffered some major setbacks, and Eliot didn't sleep for over a month (which was rough on ALL of us!). THANKFULLY, we got a one-week break right before and through Christmas, so Eliot was well enough to enjoy his surprise Polar Express ride (watch his blog for a post coming soon!) and Christmas. A few days after Christmas, we were back to where we started, but we think Eliot may finally be on the mends now (for good we hope). All I can say is what a difference a good night's sleep makes (understatement!), three cheers for Probiotics for helping with digestive problems, and last but not least, my kid better have built up some rockin' resistance from all these illnesses he's been battling!
But on to our Christmas ...
Our same, sad little hand-me-down tree (one day we'll upgrade ...) with all our Christmas loot. Santa was mighty good to us this year. This year's "big" gifts included a "Driod" (aka Droid -- ask Grant about the Chinese knock-off spelling) smartphone for Grant, a new rocker recliner for the Mommy-to-be, and a train set (Mom and Dad's big surprise) and train table (courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa) for Eliot.
Evidence that Santa came ... half-eaten cookies, no trace of Lil's fudge left (Santa absolutely has discriminating taste when it comes to goodies, we've learned), an empty glass of milk, and the key we let him use to get in. For the first time in our married life, we actually have a fireplace for the Jolly Old Guy to use, but Eliot did not buy into the chimney bit ... at all. Luckily we had bought this key last year so Santa could have access to our apartment. So we appeased Eliot by hanging the key outside our front door ... looks like Santa really does use the door when necessary, because it was left on his cookie plate!
Eliot (can you find him, camouflaged in the red wrapping?) scoping out the goods.
Tired-eyed boy. Nope, didn't sleep well at all on Christmas Eve. ("Too excited to sleep!")
That's more like it. Hand the kid a Santa Potato Head (his gift from Aunt Melissa at the McEuen family gift exchange), and he's a happy camper.
Our family photo. Yes, I would have preferred to be in jammies, too, but I had to be up and at 'em early in order to be ready for our packed Christmas schedule. Glad Potato Head could make the picture ... maybe he's standing in to represent our little Peanut?
Opening up gifts ...
Digging into stockings (Eliot's only requests were M&Ms and suckers ... Santa came through!).
Yet another of Santa's big surprises ... a tool bench for Eliot. Now he can be like his heroes Bob the Builder and Handy Manny. If only Mommy knew what all the tools were used for ...
This handsome little cheeser is one of the new front-row Joes of our Primary! My little Eliot is a Sunbeam! He is one of many little spitfires in his class, which will keep his teachers busy, but it was very tender to have him with me in Primary last week, singing along and participating -- he even got called up to use one of the puppets to help in singing time! He even has his very own copy of The Book of Mormon to take so that he can show his "scripture power" with all the other kids each week (this year's theme is "I Know the Scriptures Are True," and we've asked all the kids to bring scriptures to Primary with them). What a fun blessing to get to be in Primary and witness my first child's first experience as a new little Sunbeam. He'll probably make me crazy and melt my heart all at once!
