Much Ado About Littles: Christmas 2011

This year, Anja became somewhat obsessed with the idea of Christmas. For example, she suddenly found it completely unacceptable that we didn't have a star for the top of our tree. An angel wouldn't do, either. It was okay for other peoples' Christmas trees, but not ours. So, after much internet searching, we ventured off to find a star. Luckily she picked one that was appropriate for the size (4') of our tree and was also the least expensive! After hanging all the ornaments ("Except the b'eakable ones. I'm too little to do those. Only grown-ups can do the b'eakable ones. Silly Mommy!"), she added the star to the top of the tree.

Leading up to Christmas, Anja became very interested in Santa Claus. We had an interesting conversation about him one day:

Anja: "I need to go see Santa."

Me: "Why?"

Anja: "So I can tell him what I want for Christmas, silly!"

Me: "Oh, okay."

Anja: "But not the real Santa Claus. I have to go see a pretend Santa Claus."

Me: "Ummm...a pretend Santa? What do you mean?"

Anja: "Well, he's not the real Santa. He's just pretend."

Me: "Who told you that?"

Anja: "You did."

Me: "I did? What did I say?"

Anja: "The real Santa is up in the North Pole making all the toys, so he sends pretend Santas to talk to all the boys and girls. I need to go tell the pretend Santa that I want maracas for Ch'istmas."

Her dream of getting maracas for Christmas lasted longer than expected (2 months), but changed right before Christmas. Then it became a flute. And then she added drums. And a cymbal. And a kick drum. Luckily she fully believes that Santa actually makes all of the toys (hence the need for all the pretend Santas!), so she understood when I told her that Santa had run out of the parts needed to make those other instruments, but she could ask for them again next year. Maybe he'll have the parts then.

This year we traveled out to Wisconsin on the 23rd and spent 2 nights out there. We planned ahead and brought her stocking out with us. Since this is the first year we've personally done a stocking, we kept it simple, but she still loved it.

And since he's so young, we skipped the stocking for Ian. Instead, he scooted around on his stomach in his Santa sweatsuits, trying to get into his sister's castle.

Then we headed from the lakehouse to Grandma Judy and Grandpa Norm's house for a little relaxing and gifts and a lot of food.

Christmas morning, we got up and drove to Minneapolis to be with my family for the day. We had already celebrated Christmas with my brother, Mike, and my sister, Kim, and brother-in-law, Mark, but there were still a ridiculous number of presents to get through. Ian slept through most of it, but we did manage to get a picture of him opening his first present.

It's pretty blurry, but she's hard to capture since she moves so fast. She's opening a digital camera...

And her princess suitcase...

And one of Dan opening his toys, er, tools.

Among Anja's favorite presents were (in no particular order), the digital camera, suitcase, maracas, a jump rope, easel and paints, and monster bowling and clompers (those feet thingies in the first picture).

A picture of Anja's first drawing on the easel. It's a princess!