It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

When Sebastian was 3 mos old we celebrated his first Christmas. Being his first it was very special but there really isn't too much a 3 month old can do, except of course be put in a Santa outfit and have a million and one flashes of the camera in your face. The next year Sebastian was 15 months old. He was walking, running and talking and although he didn't pay too much attention to all the ornaments and trinkets he definitely enjoyed himself being surrounded by family and friends. This year however, has been so much different and I don't want this feeling to end....

Sebastian has brought back the magic of Christmas.

For example, we've been taping the old classic holiday specials and watching them together curled up on the couch as a family. We've also enjoyed watching Sebastian place items in his quilted advent calendar that Nonee had made for us. Sebastian has a lot of fun putting his hand into the "magic Christmas bag" and pulling out one holiday themed item to place in the calendar daily. While eating he'll look at the calendar and talk about what pictures he sees and the item he thinks he's going to be pulling out of the bag next i.e., a gingerbread man.

This year also marked our first Santa Claus parade, our first real live (as live as a chopped tree can be) Christmas Tree, Christmas Carrol's, Santa Claus and of course Christmas Specials. And the fact that it isn't even Christmas yet and we're having so much fun is making it difficult for me to contain my excitement for the actual day!!

And I guess what also makes Christmas so special for us with Sebastian is that we've been able to begin to teach Sebastian the importance of giving and that Christmas is a time to spend with our loved ones and family (not that those are two separate things) and to appreciate just how lucky we are. Because that in itself, is the true magic.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
-- Theodor Seuss Geisel