Grandma La Jean and Great Grandma Hazel's Christmas Extravaganza

Dear Henry, 
The joy and decked halls were aplenty at Gma LaJean's this year.  Mommy is pretty sure she was just way excited to have you, her first grand baby, with her for his first Christmas.  We started out with our yummy traditional Christmas brunch.  Get a load of this!  Blueberry pancakes with whipped cream, sausage gravy and biscuits, mimosas, an egg and vegetable casserole, and homemade applesauce!  It is delicious every year.  Last year right after finishing up we sat down and told them all that you might be on the way...the only thing is in the morning we were talking with one woman looking for a family for her baby and by the evening when we got to Crappaw and Grandma P's we were speaking with your birth mother, J.  It is crazy how quickly things can change!   I apologize, as I neglected to mention that Mommy went a little overboard in her preparations to go over to Gma LaJean's.  This summer when I was uh-garage-sale-n I found a baby Santa outfit for a buck.  As the season rolled around it just fit you therefore I made you wear it over to Gma LaJean's.  It is a little ridiculous and I promise this will be the only Christmas for such indulgences...but... 1. you couldn't say a thing about it and 2. it was waaaay too cute not to.

Mommy spaced bringing along your booster seat, distracted by insuring your Santa hat was on straight.  Great Grandma Hazel declared that all we needed was a large towel to tie you into the chair.  So this is what we did!  Your eyes lit up as the food piled onto the table and Daddy made certain you had your fill of whatever you desired.  You squealed and cheered for more and more.  It was certainly delicious!

 

After brunch we gathered in the living room to open presents.  Auntie Kristin always plays Santa Claus and delivers the presents to everyone.  Grandma LaJean and Great Grandma Hazel's tradition for opening presents is everyone gets their big pile and then we go around the room opening each gift one at a time and then we pour out our stockings.  This spreads it out longer and everyone gets to see what everyone else has gotten.  At Crappaw's and Grandma P's we always open quickly and then show and tell everyone what we've gotten.  It is nice to have variations.   

Grandma LaJean bought you a lot of awesome things including but not limited to jammies, onesies, little shapes with animals inside, all of Daddy's old books, Vintage Sesame Street DVD, and an awesome Tonka push truck that plays a nice beat when the engine is running.  The truck beat sends you into a stylish dancing frenzy EVERY time it comes on.  

 

Auntie Krispy went crazy at the Indianapolis Value Villages buying up all the greatest gently used toys.  She found a little box that you push shapes into and then reach in to take them out to do it all over again, cool little shoes, vests and shirts, a drum machine, books and even a kit to make your very own marshmallow peeps!  Holy cow!  Great Grandma Hazel showed some restraint and picked you out the softest little reindeer and gave you a card with some cash to buy whatever you might still need after all of the Christmas paper settles.  You pull out that soft reindeer and snuggle it just about everyday.  The drum machine is your constant companion with your favorite song being the B52's instrumental rendition of Love Shack.  You also decided to temporarily steal the Roller Derby doll that Mommy made for Auntie Krispy.  

A really successful first Christmas!  I was grateful to be with family.   I am grateful you are a part of it.  You ended the afternoon with a snooze in Great Grandma Hazel's arms.

Love, Mommy