I just love, love, love this time of year. You are out of school for most of it and I just love all of our holiday traditions and developing new ones with you.
The first thing we did to kick of the Christmas season was go to "The Journey." It's an interactive living nativity that lets you experience the night Jesus was born. This was our second year going. Afterwards just the two of us went out to dinner. I let you pick the place and we wound up at WAFFLE HOUSE. Boy, are you a cheap date. We were the only ones in the whole place and you thought that was pretty cool.
Two days later it was time for another Christmas tradition, the Santa Train. You were even in the ad for this years event. You decorated ornaments, drank hot chocolate, talked to Santa, and we topped it all off with a train ride.
I love that even though I am a part time working Mom I still get to go to your school events. During your class Christmas party everyone got to decorate their very own gingerbread house. I know I've said this before but I really mean it, I love any chance that I am known only as "Lucas' Mom." I also love getting to bring you home early from school after classroom events.
Yet another Christmas tradition is to go and see Christmas lights. I've taken you to see the Halderman's lights every Christmas since you've been born.
This year we created another tradition when we went to Madrac Farms in Rincon, GA with your friend Preston. They had a Christmas tree farm, a hayride through Christmas lights. Santa was there and they had all these campfires for roasting marshmallows. It was really neat.
Another new thing we did this year was to go ice skating. You were so excited to finally be on a real ice skating rink. It was a little tricky to get the hang of and you probably spent more time on your knees and your bootie than on your feet but that's okay. I was so proud of you. You never gave up or got frustrated, not even for a second. You just kept on trying.
To take a break from all the time we spent out of the house we invited your cousins over and you decorated Sugar cookies with them. I ordered a Sugar Cookie decorating kit from Preston's Mom (she made all your amazing birthday cakes the last 5 years.) I loved being able to watch you guys get a sugar rush without having to actually bake the cookies myself!
The last Friday before Christmas the two of us always head to downtown Savannah. Your Dad always has to work at least half a day so we go to the Westin to look at the Gingerbread houses and the gorgeous Christmas trees. We always ride the ferry over to Riverstreet (this year we saw Dolphins playing in the water) and we always end up at the candy store before riding the ferry back and returning home. This year it was so hot outside we skipped the candy and got ice cream instead.
This year we had a guest that I am sure will be back next year. We adopted an elf from the North pole and you named him Tweetie. You were so excited when you realized he had brown hair and blue eyes just like you do. Tweetie was here to watch you and report back to Santa each night what was going on back at our house. To keep himself entertained he would land in a new spot in the house each day and often played a little joke on us. One day he toilet papered the tree, another day he drew funny faces with a dry erase marker on a few framed pictures and on Christmas eve you woke up with a "Rudolph nose." When Santa came on Christmas eve he hitched a ride back to the North Pole. You were so sad to see him go but I have a feeling he will be back next year.
On Christmas eve we headed to my parents house and we played our annual game of Dirty Santa/Chinese Christmas/Racist Santa (depending on who you ask) Everyone brings a random wrapped gift and draws a number and we go in that order to pick a gift to unwrap. You can steal someone's gifts or decide to take your chances. Some of the gifts this year included light up snowmen signs, bacon flavored popcorn, and a trivia game based on MTV's Jersey Shore. You ended up with a big fluffy teddy-bear.
After Christmas eve with our family we headed to our church. Before the first Christmas carol was over you were sleeping snuggled up across my lap. You slept through the whole service. I couldn't even wake you up for the candle light singing of "Silent Night" that you were looking so forward to.... talk about sleeping in heavenly peace! You didn't wake up when I carried you out to the car or on the whole drive home.
You woke up just as we pulled up to the house and you were awake long enough to take a bath, get dressed in your new PJs and put out cookies and milk for Santa before you were back to bed.
Christmas morning we woke up to you snuggled between us and we all ventured out to the living room together to see if Santa had come. He brought you just what you asked for... Harry Potter Lego sets and a hammer and nails. We also opened family presents. You were so excited by everything but the first thing you opened was the Chess set that was from us. You've been wanting your own since the beginning of school when you first learned how to play in your gifted class.
We stayed in our PJs and headed over to your Grandpa Hunter's house for breakfast. We visited for a little while and headed back home to take to nap and play with your new toys (we napped, you played.) Then your uncle David and Aunt Ashley came over with your cousin Aubrie. We ended the night together grabbing Chinese food.
Sweet-pea, I love you to the moon and back,
Lucas' Mom
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