The Airing of Grievances

The name of the game this holiday season is "behind schedule."  Maybe it's because I feel like last week was Thanksgiving since I had family visiting, but of course it was actually two weeks after Thanksgiving.  At any rate, here are but a few examples of the "a little late or maybe not at all" mentality we've got going on around here this year:

• Holiday cards.  For years I've been wanting to do one of those cutesy cards you create online and get printed out and they're just adorable, but could never talk the Yeti into it.  With Thumper, he's willing to take one for the team.  We even got our picture taken as a family, by someone else, in a place other than the toy-strewn living room and in clothes other than pajamas!  We just didn't actually get on doing any of this till about a week or so ago.  Now the cards are addressed, waiting to be stamped and sent, and we will buy stamps when Thumper wakes up from his nap.  Yes, they will be arriving after Christmas.  Since the card says "Happy Holidays" I figure it's still got a nice cushion of time before New Years. 
• Christmas tree.  I am not putting up our giant fake tree; there's no room with the baby paddock in the living room, plus I didn't want to use breakable ornaments this year anyway, and so on.  What I actually have been wanting is a small, white tree, and if I come across one I just might get it, but I have to drag myself out to find it and our Target - the only place I can really think of that might have one - is small, with a limited selection, so there's no guarantee.  In the meantime, I have put up some lights, the welcome sign, the stockings, and more, so it's not like we're not festive at all.  But speaking of stockings -
• Stocking for Thumper.  I've been driving myself crazy for over a month looking for a stocking that "said" Thumper to me.  I wanted it to be a little traditional, not too babyish, personalized, and fun, and I couldn't find anything that fit.  I probably put way too much importance on this, but my stocking from my first Christmas still lives at my mom's house and I kept thinking of it as a Big Decision.  Finally, as the clock ran out, I found the perfect stocking in an Etsy store and ordered it.  If it makes it here before Christmas it will be just barely. 

So there's a lot of last-minute going on but at the same time, I'm actually not stressing over it too much.  I know Thumper won't remember any of it and togetherness as a family is really most important.  In some ways I just consider it a dry run for time management in future years.  Oh, and speaking of a dry run: the Santa debacle.

We still aren't planning on perpetuating the Santa myth, but I hadn't given much thought about mall Santas.  Most kids don't believe those guys are Santa anyway, so I'm not particularly opposed, and there's some sheaf of Santa pics with my siblings and me at my mother's house, so there's tradition and nostalgia.  That being said, I still hadn't considered taking Thumper for a picture this year - just hadn't really thought about it - until both grandmothers started in on it in recent days.

So there I was, out looking for a stocking (unsuccessfully), and there's a Santa setup.  With no line.  It's just me and Thumper, and he's in a good mood, and I figure, well, why not give it a try?  He's been slowly coming out of his shy phase, and was fine when family was here, so maybe this will go well.

I started off sitting next to Santa, with Thumper on my knee.  I think the elf wanted me to edge Thumper slowly into frame next to Santa, but Santa wasn't having any of it.  "This guy won't fuss - he's just fine," he said, and convinced me to set Thumper on his knee and back away.  I don't know what I was thinking, but I went along with it.  It taught me an instant, early lesson about standing my ground when I know what's best for my kid.

Instant meltdown.  Sobbing, Thumper reaching frantically for me.  I took him back right away.  Santa, believe it or not, seemed offended.  "How old is he?  Usually they're fine until about age two," he said.

Seriously? "Uh, not this one," I said.  Naturally, a line had miraculously formed behind me and the other parents were giving us a look like, Your kid better not set off my kid.  I looked at the picture they snapped but it was terrible.  I'm not opposed to a funny crying pic - we actually have one from the photos we took for the Christmas card.  This was not that.  This was pitiful and sad.  And forty bucks.

At the time I said something like "Oh, ho ho, maybe I'll bring him back with his father and try again," but honestly I think that's all the Santa we need for this year.  We've got one cute crying holiday photo, one traumatic Santa experience, not at the same time, and we've reached the quota.

Speaking of holiday experiences I'm not into: am I the only one annoyed by the Target "What did you get?" commercial?  It basically promotes everything we want to downplay.  As adults, the gifts between the Yeti and I are usually thoughtful, fun, and small, and an experience we loved.  It was really annoying, though, getting grilled by friends and family about what loot we received or getting a pitying face when they heard it was just a few books or DVDs.  Thumper's going to be getting presents, but I hope that's not all he'll think of when he thinks of Christmas.

On the subject of Christmas commercials, this one's really good but chances are you will cry, so beware; and this one is my favorite.  I also like this one, cheesy as it is, and the latest offering here isn't bad (and I may be softhearted given the subject matter).  I'm always pulled out by that mom at the end, though, luxuriously stretching.  Like she'd be the last one up.

PS I'm having an issue with pictures as I swap computers, but I didn't want the blog to just sit till I got it worked out.  More pictures in the future!