Deck the Halls

As promised, we actually managed to get our Christmas tree, set it up, AND decorate it with more than a few days to spare before Christmas. In preparation for the tree decorating event, Dad and I took all of the kids to the local Hallmark store to pick out new ornaments for the tree. Max and Molly were fascinated by all the ornaments and had trouble making their selection. This was actually the first year that Molly went along for the ride -- in previous years she was too little (and usually already in bed) and stayed home with Dad.

I had been getting both Max and Molly "age" ornaments from a certain Hallmark ornament series. I didn't realize that they were discontinuing the series last year, so I'll have to cruise around the net if I want to complete their sets (grumble). So, they had free rein this year -- Max ended up picking out a Buzz Lightyear ornament (which had a button and made noise -- his favorite!), while Molly picked out a Tinkerbell ornament. Big Brother went for a Pirates of the Caribbean piece, while Big Sister went off the beaten path and picked a pretty glass ornament. I found a Max the Wild Thing ornament and tried to nudge Max into picking that one, but when he opted for Buzz I bought it for myself.

Although we weren't decorating the tree until the following Sunday, Max and Molly HAD to open their ornaments and hang them on the tree. They love to look at them and talk about them and I think I've heard Buzz Lightyear's sound effects about a million times already. Molly loves her Tinkerbell -- the other day she pointed to it and said, "Look, Mama. It's like me. It's Tinkerbell!" After her Halloween costume, she obviously identifies with the saucy little fairy. On Max's last day of school, he brought home a Christmas gift for Mama and Daddy -- a little angel ornament that he'd made at school(with a little help from his teachers). We have another one just like it that Big Brother made when he was three!

On Sunday, Max "helped" me put the lights on the tree while Molly was napping. He had a blast, even though it probably took me twice as long to get them on the tree! This was also the first year that Molly was able to help decorate the tree and she LOVED it. Max liked hanging the ornaments on the tree himself, but Molly preferred to pick them out, hand them to a bigger person, and instruct them where to hang it on the tree. The little kids were bummed when there weren't any ornaments left to put on the tree. We played our usual Christmas mix CD while we trimmed the tree (and discovered that Molly LOVES "Jingle Bells") and then made the traditional hot cocoa. Max and Molly loved their "coffee," especially the whipped cream.

To round out the Christmas festivities, Max and Big Brother performed in the Children's Service at church/school tonight. Max and his preschool class have been practicing "Away in a Manger" for the past couple of months -- Max and I had been singing it every night before bed, so he knew it pretty well. We play a lot of games where we make up songs, so Max was more than able to make up any words he might forget! We took him to school, dropped him off at his classroom, and went into the chapel to wait for the start of the service. It was fun to watch him walk in with all the other preschoolers and line up at the front of the church. He looked so small standing up there with the other kids! He did well and behaved himself, but was delighted/relieved when Big Sister fetched him back to our seats when his song was over.

The rest of the service was a bit of a fiasco -- it had the misfortune of beginning when Max and Molly usually go to bed. So, both kids were really overtired and ornery (especially Molly) and it was a bit of a challenge to keep them under wraps for the rest of the hour and a half service. Dad and I were foolish enough not to bring any snacks or activities and to forgot Molly's "bubbie" lovey in the car. So, Molly spent half of the service mournfully telling me that she wanted to go home. Max amused himself by "reading" all the notes in the hymnal, when he wasn't being a total wiggle butt. Dad and I had originally hoped to take in the county light show on the way home, but we were all so tired and burnt out that we went right home and put everyone right to bed. Maybe we'll make it next year. ;)