The beginnings of Christmas

We made cookies for a church Christmas party last night. We made chocolate crinkle cookies together, which was a lot of fun. You make up a dough and then drop it into a bowl of powdered sugar to coat it. When I turned my back to greet Jay, who had just walked in the door from orienteering with the eleven-year-old scouts, Theo seized the moment. He poured the powdered sugar into the cookie dough bowl and tried to stir it in. He was so certain that that was the next step and that he was helping. I spooned it back into the bowl and saved it.
He wore an apron of his daddy's. I tightened the neck as small as possible and the bottom of it just reached his ankles.

At the church party we were divided into groups and they had little programs in 6 different rooms that we rotated through. One was a nativity, another was a man telling a story of the candy bomber. One was Mrs. Clause with a picture book I Believe in Santa Clause and then Santa came to visit. When Santa came in the room, I pulled out my cell phone. Theo looked at me excitedly and said, "Mommy take a picture. SANTA!" He did not sit on Santa's lap alone, so I sat with him. A friend snapped a photo. I will have to get it from her. I don't think shy Theo was looking at the photographer at all, though.

After the program and we were eating, one friend and her tiny baby left. I asked Theo if he wanted to wave, which he did. Then he said, "Bye. I love you."
"Aww, you love her?" I asked. I had never known him to say that about our friends before.
"Yes," he said, "I love babies."

A week ago or so at bedtime I was singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and he requested "Mommy star" instead of "little star," so I sang that version. Then he continued his requests:
Daddy star
Theo star
Sister star
Brother star

I suggested "doggie star."
"No. Zebra star."
Okay, and sang that version.

He has borrowed a toy from a friend several weeks ago called a Water Wow (but he calls it a Water Woo and it's adorable). It's a clean painting toy. Whenever he is at a friends and can use it, he is super engaged. My mom wanted a Christmas list for him and I told her about it. Well he has been asking about it and I decided to try to explain to him Christmas presents. After a little explanation, I told him, "Maybe Grandma will get you a Water Wow for Christmas."
Well he immediately got off my lap.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Grandma's house."
Silly me.
But even weeks later he still will tell me, "Maybe Grandma get Theo Water Woo."
Over and over he repeats it like a mantra.

A few weeks ago we were reading and he asked for The Cat in the Hat. I told him we gave it back to the library. Theo thought and then said, "Maybe Grandma get Theo Cat in the Hat."
Ummm, maybe.
Other things he has asked for that "maybe Grandma will get Theo"
The Runaway Bunny
Puff the Magic Dragon (a board book from the library)
Bacon. Yes bacon. He ate all the leftover bacon and then instantly asserted that maybe Grandma would get him more. So funny!

I tried to explain that Grandma isn't the only one who will get him gifts for Christmas. After my explanation he said, "Maybe GrandDad will get Theo fire truck." And now he has started also talking about how Santa might get him a Water Woo.

Anyway, this is a really fun Christmas so far.

But I didn't get my tree up until Dec. 7. We had talked about doing it as a family, but it hadn't happened, so I just started by myself on one afternoon. Well Theo came up to me as I was trying to put on the tree skirt and said, "No, no no no no!"
I was kind of sad. I was trying to get Theo to decorate it with me. I decided that I needed to hold him and pay attention to him. That night I put the lights on the tree and Theo came in the room just as I turned them on. He said, "Oh pretty! Mommy thank you!" And then he helped me decorate the tree as if he had never rejected the tree before.

Years ago I made some cupcake/sugar plum ornaments with Gaby. Theo tried to eat one.

After he got lots of powdered sugar on the pan I transferred the cookies onto a big plate, washed the powdered sugar off the pan, and then put the cookies back on. I was afraid the amount of loose powdered sugar on the pan was going to cause a fire hazard.

He is an expert at dismounting