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We had a fun weekend a couple weeks ago. Man, I love this time of year! I know you’re probably sick of hearing it, but I never get sick of saying it. It’s just great… and so much better because it’s also when you’re birthday happens, so it’s a time of retrospection on all the things that have happened and of looking forward to the upcoming milestones and memories of the next year. And we get to enjoy it all in the midst of holiday festivities and Christmas lights. I’m so grateful for you and Daddy and Mima and the rest of the family. We spent a day doing some of the local holiday fun stuff, starting out in Oak Glen (a little slice of New England in the heart of California) on one of the farms (can’t remember the name of this one). We explored the farm grounds and orchards and let you interact with nature… after trying to get you to pose for some photos on a cool barrel we found. You did not like that barrel. You looked worried when we put you up there by yourself and you still didn’t favor it much when we tried to pose for a family photo (taken by Mima). You disliked it so much that when we finally stopped cajoling and set you free on the ground, you shook your hand at it and told it no a couple times, hehe.
Much more to your liking were the leaves you got to play in, although you were kind of concerned by the fact that they tended to stick to your jeans. You can see you tried to brush them off fairly unsuccessfully.
We watched the sunset from an orchard we wandered up in to and there were dandelions everywhere. You ate the first couple. 🙂 You were trying to blow, but with your mouth open and with the dandelion so close to your lips that you ended up with tufted seeds coating your tongue. You figured it out eventually and managed to set loose a seed or two into the air.
Then we headed down to Live Oak Canyon Christmas Tree Farm and explored the cut Christmas trees. Daddy and I have cut our own trees for years and years. But for the past few we’ve adopted a fake tree (that totally looks real) and I’m afraid we’re sold. Live ones are so expensive and messy and it’s nice to save the money and the vacuuming and cat vomit (from eating the needles). But we still like to go and look and smell the real thing. When you get a little older we may revisit real trees. Problem is around here all the ones you can cut yourself are just not truly the real thing. They aren’t the pretty Noble Firs we’re used to but some kind of scruffy, rugged California variety that are hard to like when you know what real pine trees should look like. So maybe we’ll have to make it a real long-distance quest someday tracking down a Noble Fir to chop down. We’ll see. I have to admit, I feel a little *noble* saving the life of at least 1 beautiful tree every year too. I’m not a tree-hugger, but it does feel good to spare a life so to speak. I think you appreciate trees more when you’ve lived in the desert. In fact, I know you do. It’s fundamentally changed me.
After that we hit up Candy Cane Lane with you for the third year running. You went from Moby Wrap to Stroller to Walking on your own two little feet in 2 short years. That’s the great thing about traditions. It gives a reference point and it was so, so fun to watch you be truly fascinated this year by all the lights and animated characters. Quite a difference from the 2 years past. There’s one family who builds Santa’s Workshop in their garage every year and it’s really cool. There are a bunch of animated elves working on projects and a toddler size train that goes around a track. You watched in awe and waved at it every time it went by.
Now we’re enjoying our time with Granny and Grandpa and Anutie Steph who arrived just last night to share Christmas with you for the first time. Woohoo! We miss out on them for so many other special moments. We’re excited for them to get to witness and participate in all your cuteness and all the memory-making of Christmas 2011.
Love you, babe. Just a few days until the big day! Merry Christmas!