Christmas Is Coming!

What a great busy holiday season this has been so far!  I'm loving that Hill is loving the whole idea of Christmas and Santa and elves.  This past week has been full of watching him absorb the spirit of Christmas.  Oh through the eyes of a babe.

Thursday was the M&F Bank Christmas Party.  We had such a great time.  Hill would have sat and watched Dylan Davis play his guitar until the end of time.  Thanks Dylan for being so sweet and singing all the fun Christmas songs.  I'm pretty sure we will have to call Dylan if we ever need a babysitter all he would have to do is just sing and play the whole time.

I told Hill he couldn't watch Dylan all night because there was someone special here at the party to see him.  Hill had no idea that SANTA was there!  I was anxious to see how he would react because last Christmas at 11 months he wasn't really aware of what was going on.  He did the picture thing, but it wasn't really impressionable.  This year we brought a list to Santa of the things he wanted which was a fabulous idea because it was an icebreaker for Hill to walk up to Santa.  I gave him the note and told him to take it to Santa.  So he walked up to Santa sitting in his chair and gave it to him.  He saw Santa had candy canes which was all it took.  Hill popped up in Santa's lap and posed for the camera.  This is the picture I got, but the one the photographer took is going to be great because Hill was cracking up laughing when he snapped it.  I'll share it when I get it.

After listening to music, visiting with Santa and drinking 89 gallons of punch we all headed to the Christmas parade.  I wish this picture wasn't so blurry, but I couldn't help but post it, I thought it was sweet.  Hill and his Dada walking on the Square before the parade.

We went to my office building to watch the parade.  The 3rd floor has balconies that overlook the Square and I thought that was a great place to get a birds eye view of what was going on.  Also, since it was freezing outside we could go in should we need to.
Before the parade we hung out with some of the people I work with.  Hill and the President were conducting serious important business.

Hill was giving Jeff a demonstration of how his dump truck works.

Absorbing all the commotion

Hi FIRE TRUCK!

Chip and Hill watching the parade

Sweet Rhodes hanging out on the balcony.

Silly Ellie!
Hill sure loves him some Ellie Develin.

As if watching someone play the guitar, seeing Santa, and catching the local Christmas parade wasn't enough...when we got home we found someone new in our house!

This is Doug.
Doug is our family's Elf on a Shelf!

 I read Hill the Elf on the Shelf story and explained to him what he does and how we can't touch him.  The first step was to name him!  I asked Hill what he wanted to name him and under his breath he mumbled something.  Chip and I asked him what he said and it came out softly and mumbly, "Duhk."  I turned to Chip and said, "Doug?"  Chip hit the floor laughing.  Doug?!?  It's perfect, but how in the world did Hill come up with that?  We don't know anyone named Doug.  It could quite possibly be that he said 'Duck' but we stuck with Doug.

Doug has already made an impact on Hill.  That night as he was fighting bedtime Chip reminded him that Doug was watching and would report back to Santa him being so disobedient.  Hill looked up at Doug and gave him the meanest look.  If looks would kill Doug would be dead and have lost all of his magic right then and there.

This weekend Chip has his annual Mountain Man Weekend so Hill and I are left to party it up.  Last night, Friday, we went to visit Nana and Papa.  Shane Preston was there and so he and Hill watched the Elf on the Shelf show that came on TV.  Shane Preston has an elf at his house too, his name is Red.
 

Sweet cousins

After a late night at Nana and Papa's we headed home.  Chip and I have established that I am the fun play parent and therefore Hill has a problem listening to me.  Well with Chip gone this weekend Hill sure tested bedtime...again.  On the way home he informed me that we needed to put on our pj's and sit in the rocking chair (recliner) and watch Kiki (Mickey Mouse.)  I was so tired I was ready to go to bed as soon as we got home, but I caved.  Finally at 10:15 pm I went into his room and got into his full size bed and hoped he'd come and join me.  Nope.  So as I started to fall into a coma I decided that child protective services would not be happy if I left my not even 2 year old awake watching Mickey while I went to bed.  Against my inner voices I got up and turned off the TV and made him come to bed.  I don't really remember the fit that was thrown because I was so tired.  Yet, when I woke up this morning he was asleep and didn't wake up until like 8:15 am.  Why is it that I wake up at 7 the one time he actually sleeps late?

ya'll so much for including us.  They had so many fun activities planned out.

Here is Hill and Mrs. Fenwick painting with their hands!

Here is Tanner getting ready to paint with Mrs. Alford!

Mrs. Fenwich helping Hill glue on the ornaments (pom poms) to his hand painted tree.

Tanner and Hill hanging out.

Story time!  Hill doesn't meet a stranger.  He sat right in this lady he's never met lap.

Then as if all that playing and painting and reading wasn't enough for one day we went to the movies!  Junior Auxiliary had their Santa Express this afternoon at the local movie theater.  Santa was there again and remembered Hill from the other night!  Hill gave a half eaten cookie to Santa and he ate it!  Hill thought that was the funniest thing EVER.  So did all the rest of us.

Since Hill has never been to the movies I explained beforehand how we were going to watch a big TV and they had popcorn and Santa there.  I was really worried because he hadn't had a nap and has had such a busy day but when we got there he got his cookies, saw Santa and immediately remembered he needed popcorn.  

He's a professional movie goer now.

This elates me to no end.  I LOVE nothing more than to go to the movies.  I don't even have to like what I watch, I just love going to the movies.  So my heart is warmed that Hill does too!  I will have to remember next time to get him his own drink and a large popcorn.  He ate the whole medium tub of popcorn (well 97%) and didn't like sharing!  He did good about watching the whole movie.  He did get up and sit on the aisle steps towards the end, but he continued to watch the movie...Polar Express.  How fun!  Thanks JA girls for all your hard work on this event.

It's 5:30 pm now and Hill has been asleep for and hour and a half. He fell asleep in the car on the way home from the movies.  Normally this would bother me and I'd have kept him up because he wouldn't sleep tonight, but we are about to head over to the Warrington's to eat and play with Harvey and Tanner so I'm hoping that he wears out again and doesn't put up a fight come night night time.  Wish me luck.

I guess if he gets crazy on me I can always summon Doug.....