Your second Christmas. You ‘got it’ quite quickly. Opening gifts came naturally, you linger over them and we open each package and play before moving onto the next. I know this will change, and it’s nice to watch you enjoy the gratification with each one. It did, on the other hand, take two days to open all the gifts. Daddy made you a beautiful mahogany rocking horse, which greeted you Christmas morning with a red bow around its neck.
One of the highlights of your gifts was a doll that says different things, depending what position she’s in. “Hug me” “I’m tired” “I’m up, let’s play”. “Time for a nap.” I asked you what you would like to name her and you squealed “Doug”. So that’s her name.
Another fave is your new Kettler tricycle, red yellow and blue with a push-bar handle.
Your Uncle Scott and Aunt Sarah were here from Boston for Christmas and got lots of giggles in with you. Sarah seemed to love freewheeling you around the house almost as much as you did.
We had Christmas morning and brunch here with Nana, Papa, Scott and Sarah and then, after your nap rejoined at Nana’s for a lovely Christmas dinner. Nolan, Heather and Dave Rollins joined us. We had gifts for Nolan and there were yet more for you, so you two spent time unwrapping more there before dinner.
I missed my family at Christmas, missed sharing the fun of it all with you with them. I hope you never grow up and leave and live far away like I do from my family… oh, the thought of it!
Your Christmas card this year was a series of shots I took one morning, which Heather composed into a fun little card.
Dear Santa,
I’ve been very good this year. I’m using the potty and wearing ‘big girls’ most of the time now. I stay in my toddler bed all through the night usually and let mama and dada sleep in until 5.15 am or so. I use my spoon and fork and never throw my food anymore (unless I’m really tired!). I love to play ring-around-the-rosie and hide-and-seek, and have picnics with my teddy bears and my friends. I promise to leave you some cookies and milk and a carrot for your reindeer.
Love Taite
“Broke” — One candy cane after another squeezed in your little fist.
“Beep beep” you peep when you want to go past someone.
“Up” … when tugging at my pantleg no longer does the trick.
You love having a real live tree in your living room. Before bed you wave goodnight to it, to the angels, to St Nicholas on top of the tree, to the Nutcracker, and to the lights on the hallway wall.
You don’t want to miss anything and so have developed a repertoire of events to postpone the onset of that hour in the day known as bedtime. Holding your hands to your mouth and smacking your lips together. Drawing your arms wide out and then in with a ‘pop’ — potty time. Finally you climb into bed and lay on your tummy, and with an arm extending back and patting your own back, you look up at me and it’s clear what you want.
Everywhere we go you are on the lookout for babies. If you see a stroller or any evidence of a baby, you pipe up “Bebe” and point in the direction. If you are within human contact, your arms are raised out straight in front of you, Frankenstein like, and you walk with a certain intent toward the baby. If you’re lucky, you sometimes get to touch or hug one. Parks, museums, libraries, grocery stores. You adore Olchi’s new baby, Andre, and will sit with him rather than play with Dima or the older kids.
New words
Broke — for anything broken, not working, or that’s fallen
Bubbles
Woof woof
Uh oh!
You try to say blueberries, avocado, bellybutton.
Christmas Photos here…enjoy!
