Merry Christmas

Whew. I'm at work for just two days this week, but it's almost a relief to sit still for a while. I was off for 9 days with Greyson and while it was a joy, it was also tiring!

A few thoughts on Santa - yes, we got a Bad Santa photo, although it could have been much worse if I had actually handed Greyson over to the man in the red suit. As we approached him, Grey's grip on my arm got tighter and tighter. And the tears came when I threatened to let Santa hold him. I guess this is a bad age for strangers, then you add a big fake beard and hat to the mix for some real toddler fireworks. Mom and I were chatting with a very approachable Santa at the mall in Sarasota and he said he has better luck than most, but babies from 9 to 20 months or so are almost never excited to see him. Greyson enjoyed watching him whittle some little reindeer at his workbench, but that was sans big coat, gloves, and hat. The one year old who did sit with him for a photo was not happy once he donned all that gear. Good thing we got to find out for free at Grey's school and saved ourselves a tearful trip to the mall.

We had a really lovely visit to Greyson's grandparents house for Christmas. It was our longest visit, a whole four days. Greyson slept good for the most part - his first night was rough but I attribute that to his lingering cold. He enjoyed his clip-on high chair that let him sit right up at the big table with the adults, and he ate like a little piglet (the moo shu porker that he is!). He spent a lot of time in his Pops' arms, giving me time to help frost cookies, wrap gifts, help with dinner, etc. He enjoyed the giant Sandhill Cranes (BIG birdies!), picking fruit with Grandpops, his new rocking horse (clip clop, clip clop, neigh!!!), attention from grandparents, aunts and uncles, and the countless treats that he got to enjoy on his mini vacation. Today he's back at school, and he's probably relieved to be back in a routine.

Yesterday we braved a family trip to IKEA. Our last trip was not exactly a happy occasion, although little sleepy baby Grey was oblivious. I made a solo trip a few weeks back which was divine... 10am on a Tuesday is a great time to shop, even in December. This time it was noon on a Sunday, and it was crowded. Not crazy crowded, but regular weekend crowded. We made it through the maze of the top floor and even through the lunch line without incident. Greyson enjoyed his swedish meatballs, and Mike was back in line for the yummy looking chocolate cake. That's when G got fussy and I pulled him out of his high chair to discover he was soaking wet. Soaking. Through the onesie, through the denim shorts (really like your jorts!) and almost through my shirt. How he got that way so quickly I don't know, but it threatened to ruin our shopping excursion. Mike to the rescue, held the sticky little Goose while we picked out his table and chairs, hightailed it through the marketplace downstairs, checked out and got to the car for a quick change. Little guy rode home in just a diaper but I think he enjoyed it. We all got a change of clothes at home and Greyson napped while we assembled his new furniture (photos to come). Now he's got his own table in the dining room so he can snack while I cook dinner. He loves it and feels like a big boy! We always carried a change of clothes in his diaper bag but lately we've been making do with the little backpack - I suppose we ought to throw an emergency outfit in for good measure.

This week will be a fairly normal week, except of course Thursday we're all off for New Years. Sheesh, 2009!