LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW YEAR

With 2011 arriving tomorrow, I can safely say that the last year was easily the best one that the Wife and I have spent together in our now 10 1/2 years of marriage. Yesterday, she took a look back, so today, I'll take a look ahead.

We'll be hard pressed to top the Little One's arrival. I'll just go ahead and say right now that we won't be able to top that event this year. Still, there is plenty for us to look forward to in 2011.

Here's a quick look at the highlights we'll be anticipating in the coming year:

- The arrival of Baby Fletcher, my brother's first child. He's expected sometime in early February, giving the Little One essentially a fourth cousin. He has a step-cousin in North Carolina and my brother's girlfriend has two boys who - while not technically related - are very much family in every other sense of the word.

- My step-sister's wedding. A couple years ago, my father got remarried and moved to North Carolina. His wife is a kind, beautiful person, and her two grown kids have become family to all of us, which I initially wasn't sure could happen. After all, they were people we essentially did not meet until the day before my father and Grandma Sue got married. Before the wedding, expecting meaningful relationships to build with them seemed like a tall task. It took all of a weekend for my perspective to change, and now they are our North Carolina family, and we are excited to bring the Little One down to meet them.

- The Little One's first steps. At some point this year, he will learn to walk. It's a natural milestone for any baby. I'm telling you now, I will be an emotional mess when he does it. I did not learn to walk until I was more than three years old. My sister, who is a year-and-a-half younger, walked before I did. Doctors told my parents that I probably never would walk. Knowing that we have a healthy boy who - barring something completely unforeseen - will walk like a "normal" child means more than I could really put into words.

- The Super Bowl? Sorry, but I had to slip this one in there. As a big Patriots fan (they gave me my first job out of school), I'm excited for what is setting up for another possible title run. Obviously it's not a given (hence the question mark in Super Bowl?), but things are certainly looking good.

- A road trip to the 'Burgh. At some point this year, we'll drive with the Little One to the Wife's hometown - Pittsburgh. We actually just got back from a great New Year's trip there. We've already decided to hit the road for a family trip. Primanti Brothers, a Pirates game at the gorgeous PNC Park and time with Uncle Doug and Grandma Marti. Yeah, we're already excited.

- The first birthday. We'll set the Little One in his high chair, give him a small cake loaded with bright-colored frosting and let him go to town. The strange colors that he poops the next day will totally be worth watching him smear frosting all over his face and head.

That's enough for now. We try to stay in the moment as much as possible, but it's exciting to look ahead and know some of the things that will be coming down the road.

PROFESSOR BABY

Time flies when you are having fun. That is an understatement around these parts. Every day we look down at the Little One and wonder where the last four months went. I find myself making declarations that start with, "I can't wait until he…" but then I think about how much I miss the stages that have already passed and decide that I'm okay with him staying small forever.

It hasn't been all fun and games, but life with a baby sure is sweet! I'm trying very hard to count the days in memories and not in time. So, on that note, the following is a list of things we've learned along the way from our little guy.

1. Babies smell good even when they use frangrace-free lotions and soaps

2. No matter how many times he smiles it never gets old.

3. Television is overrated. We don't miss it.

4. The second a baby starts to figure out cause and effect there is a glint in his eye that says, "Game On!"

5. Pouts have the mysterious power of being both heartbreaking and adorable.

6. Bathtime is the best, as long as the water stays in the tub.

7. No diaper can stand up to the incredible strength of the Little One's blow-outs.

8. We can (and do) sing off key with zero complaints from the audience.

9. Nothing compares to a belly laugh.

10. Even with some bumps and bruises early on, 2010 was a great year!

NEIGHBORLY ACTS

Cold with hat-hair, but smiling.

Shoveling is no fun. It's certainly no fun the morning after a heavy blizzard like we saw Sunday night.

So I was less than excited to grab the shovel, lace up the boots and trudge out into the cold early Monday morning. It had been a looong weekend, with the Little One battling an ear infection and a serious lack of sleep. From Christmas Day through to Monday, the amount of sleep the Wife and I had could be measured in minutes rather than hours.

Sleep deprived with a serious cold taking root everywhere in my body, I begrudgingly went outside to clear out the white stuff.

It wound up being a great experience.

Don't get me wrong. The shoveling part - complete with the trickle of snot continuously freezing in a pool below my nostrils - sucked.

The part I enjoyed was the neighborly interaction. It started with the next-door-neighbor coming over to help shovel out part of the driveway. We discussed our mutual hatred for snow, and how last year at this time, we both were making mental plans to purchase a snowblower.

As we discussed how nice a snowblower would be, another neighbor from a few houses down rolled up with his snowblower and cleared the remainder of the lower portion of our driveway. Then he cleared the area in front of our mailbox and apologized that he couldn't get up the stairs to do the walkway.

Apologize? Are you kidding? I wanted to kiss him for doing what he did. In about five minutes, he cleared an area that would have meant an extra two hours or so for me and my shovel. I was more than thankful.

From there, he then cleared the driveway of the guys across the street (in all, he cleared at least eight driveways that I saw).  While he did, one of the guys yelled a hearty hello to me, adding that he really liked the "beautiful Christmas card" of the Little One.

The compliment - and the generous neighborly acts - made it seem much less cold out there. 

A GROWING FAMILY

The day before Christmas, we stopped at my brother's house to drop off a present. His girlfriend's 4-year-old son answered the door with a big smile on his face.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked with a sense of inquisitive excitement.

Before I could answer, his 2-year-old brother came running to the door with an equally big smile, with both hands waving above his head as he delivered a hearty, "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!"

Life has a funny way of working out. A decade ago, my brother and his girlfriend were in a serious relationship together, but it didn't work out. They went their separate ways and lived separate, until getting back together very recently.

Now they are back together, and her boys are a big part of my brother's life. The girlfriend and her boys have quickly become a part of our family as well. Both boys are very good with the Little One, wanting to hold him or play with him when we get together.

Even more exciting, my brother and his girlfriend are expecting their first in a little more than a month. This clearly is on her sons' minds, as I found out at their door the other day.

"First [the Little One] was born; then Santa Claus comes tomorrow; and then after Christmas, our new baby is coming!" he said. "How exciting is that?"

Just the fact that he brought it up on his own was amazing. These boys are really excited to be adding another brother in the near future. 

Just as we are excited for another cousin for the Little One.

SOMETHING DELICIOUS TODAY: Favorite Fries

We are at the end of a long holiday weekend and feeling very fulfilled and VERY, VERY filled.

It could be all of the cookies we ate. Or, it could be all of the appetizers. Maybe it was the dish of holiday M&M's we kept going back to. Of course, it could be all of the above and more that is making us feel super stuffed and a little guilty about over-indulging.

Our plan was to start an exercise program together on December 26th, but the Little One is battling a bad cold and none of us have had much shut-eye in a few days. The blizzard that hit New England yesterday also has us spending quite a bit of bonding time with our snow shovel. Needless to say, we have good excuses to put off the extra sit-ups for a few more days.

In the mean time we are trying our best to put some healthier stuff in our bodies. A favorite recipe comes from the cook book, Hungry Girl, a gift from my sister-in-law Megan. After you try these butternut squash fries you will have a hard time justifying any regular, full-fat fries ever again.

As a bonus I've also added a link to new versions of the recipe. Enjoy and let us know what you think about them.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1398

http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1460

ON THE 11th DAY OF CHRISTMAS (a digital short)

On the 11th day of Christmas... the Little One took care of all his Christmas preparations.

In this digital short - titled Christmas Preparations - we offer a look at a host of holiday-themed activities for the Little One these last few days. From writing his letter to Santa to hanging the stockings, he was very hands on in getting ready for the big day tomorrow.

With Christmas coming tomorrow, we present the digital short a day early this week.

Merry Christmas everyone!

ON THE 10TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS...

On the 10th day of Christmas, the Little One and I discussed whether or not he would be singing Christmas carols at day care.

Actually, we discussed a wide range of topics, but the portion about Christmas carols is what we managed to capture on camera for your viewing (and listening) pleasure below.

You see, every weekday morning, I get to take the Little One out of his crib as he wakes up. Most days, it takes him a few minutes of stretching and or resting on my shoulder before he really starts to wake up.

Lately, he really starts to come to life when I lay him down on the changing table. Whether it's getting a fresh diaper or a wipe down with a face cloth dampened with warm water, he becomes a bundle of energy with a lot on his mind.

Those 15 or 20 minutes during which we change his diaper and get him situated in his first outfit and bib of the day are fast becoming my favorite part of each day. Maybe because he is starting to make all kinds of new sounds. My favorite, without question, is, "Da da da da da da daaaaa."

Now, I am fully aware that this is just a sound he is learning, and he is not actually calling me out by name yet. Still, I'd be lying if I said it didn't get me fired up to think that he is pretty close to saying this new name that I acquired just a few months ago.

Yeah, I definitely like that sound. Really, any of the babbling that he does cracks me up. Our conversations get me going just as much as they do for him. We talk about his plans for the day. Usually we do a little bit of horseplay that involves tickling his neck and chin. Don't tell him I told you, but he is pretty ticklish under the right side of his neck, and I can get him laughing a little just about every day.

Before I know it, he'll be using actual words, and that will excite me, too. If it doesn't happen right away, that's fine by me. 

Until then, I'll wake up each morning looking forward to his morning babble.

As a special feature today, we present to you a weekday digital short titled Talking About Christmas Carols, an actual conversation from this week captured on camera from the Little One's crib. Thank you to the Wife for discretely sneaking into the room and setting the camera up without the Little One noticing, since he usually clams up when we try to record his babbling.

Enjoy!

ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

On the ninth day of Christmas our little family…went a little green.

If you're like me, you finished your holiday shopping a couple of weeks ago and just have to get those special gifts in disguise and under the tree. And then there are a few of you who are more adventurous and make holiday shopping a last-minute sport. A decade ago I spent the last week before Christmas at the mall wrapping presents for a charity… so I know who you are. If I am talking about you, I've got some advice that could make your week easier. If you are way ahead of the game and finished your gift wrapping weeks (or maybe even months) ago, these suggestions might help with next year's holiday preparations and any birthdays and celebrations that pop up before then.

We are all cutting back on spending these days and that makes it even harder to find a way to give to our favorite charities. A donation in someones name is a one-size-fits-all solution. It says, "I'm thinking about what is close to your heart and am going to help." I love getting presents as much as the next kid-at-heart, but the times someone has given a donation in my name have meant more than any sweater or electronic.

Another idea we've started to grab hold of in the last few years is the concept of green wrapping. Basically, I try to get away with buying as little wrapping materials as possible and get creative with the ways I cover gifts. I start by taking a look at the things we already have around the house and the size and weight of things that need wrapping. In years past I've used everything from pillow cases to scraps of decorated junk mail. This year I actually decided to raid the Husband's tee-shirt collection and borrow a few pieces to wrap his gifts. I know that sounds weird and maybe even ugly, but it's not that bad. To make the presents more festive I have a roll of holiday ribbon I'll use to tie around the wrapped gifts. We'll post a picture of the finished gifts under the tree for everyone to judge for themselves.

The result will be a colorful, yet coordinated and very environmentally friendly and affordable display. Plus it will give him another excuse to hold on to his favorite old tees a little longer.

By far the easiest thing I do to green-wrap is re-using left over gift bags and tissue paper from past holidays and other celebrations. Last year I put several of these in a box and stored them with our holiday decorations. The other day when the Husband announced that he was starting a marathon gift-wrapping session I presented him with my box of bags and gently-used tissue paper. In the end he opted to use recycled wrapping paper instead, but this alone made the future a little greener for the Little One and all of his little friends. Maybe next year the Husband will be ready to take that leap toward an uber-green Christmas and embrace my offbeat wrapping style. Just in case, I'll be standing by this holiday season under the mistletoe with a box of used bags and bows and a little more green in my hands.

ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

The gifts are wrapped and ready to go!

On the eighth day of Christmas... I felt like Superman!

A couple weeks ago, I chatted with my friend and co-worker Dave L. about how good it feels to absolutely own the day. There are so many days that kick the crap out of us, but every so often, when everything falls just right, we can nail it out of the park.

That's how I felt about yesterday.

Coming off a weekend of working a pair of college basketball games, trying to make cookies with the Wife and the Little One and spending Sunday night with family at a holiday gathering, it seemed Monday was an opportune time to take a personal day. With Christmas less than a week away, there was a ton left for me to get done.

Initially, I thought I'd keep the Little One out of daycare and take him with me for the day. I was really torn, so I talked about it with the woman who watches him every day while we are at work. She made three really good points:

1. Each 10-minute thing you need to get done will take two hours to do if you have him.

2. Getting him in and out of the car and the stroller for each store you have to go to will be tough for his daily routine.

3. If he doesn't go with you, that means he gets to hang out with her all day.

She cracked a big smile as she said the last one. Knowing that he is with someone who likes being around him really helped prevent me from feeling like a total heel for not spending every waking moment with him when I wasn't at work.

With the Little One at daycare, I made sure to make the most of the day. From his daycare, I headed straight to Lowe's to get a couple of gifts for the Wife. I'm not blowing any secrets here, since I was getting something she told me to get for her. 

Funny how a piece of paper can
cause so much emotion.

After Lowe's, I swung over the City Hall to get a couple copies of the Little One's birth certificate. It's a piece of paper we've been meaning to get for four months now. I don't know how many times we have talked about getting it, but for some reason, walking out of the building with his birth certificate lifted an enormous weight off the shoulders. As an added bonus, reading over the information on the certificates caused a rush of emotions and memories from his birth. 

From City Hall, it was on to Stop and Shop to buy candy for stocking stuffing, as well as a gift for the Little One's daycare provider. We've simply got to show appreciation for the person who cares for our world every day.

Next it was on to Michael's, where I avoided the urge to slam my own head into a wall repeatedly. Something about that store - and Bed, Bath and Beyond - turns me into a brat. I hate going, and I hate when the Wife wants to go. Women and my father love Michael's. Not me. I find that I really want to knock stuff off the shelves and throw a full-on hissy fit the moment I walk through the door.

But yesterday, I was on a mission. Got in, found some stuff for a project gift that the Wife and the Little One can do together, and got out. I held in the scream that tried so hard to escape while I was walking through the aisles.

I pushed my luck and tried looking in Christmas Tree Shops next. I lasted five minutes of mindless walking before I had to run out of that store. There was less thought put into the layout of Christmas Tree Shops than any other store in history, and I include both Job Lot and Ikea in the competition.

It was just after 11:30 a.m., and I had now been out on the town - or at least the local shopping district - for more than 3 hours. But my shopping was done. To ease the pain of Michael's (that place lingers with you), I got lunch at the newly-opened 5 Guys and headed home.

After plowing through the burger (jalapenos and hot sauce), I put the final touches on a special gift I've been putting together for the Wife. I can't give too much away, but maybe it'll be a weekend digital short here at some point.

With the project completed, the wrapping began. Wrapping Christmas gifts might just be my favorite part of the season. It's not that I am good at wrapping (I am absolutely not). There's just something about wrapping a gift for someone that makes me forget for a few minutes that the world is still moving along. While I wrap gifts, I think about the people gifts are for, and why a particular gift made me think of them. It's cheesy as hell, but it makes me smile.

Midway through the wrapping, I ran out of tape. Happens every year. So it meant a run to CVS for more in order to get back home and finish up. Did I mention that I also got six loads of laundry washed and folded while the rest of this was all going on? 

Before I knew it, yesterday turned into last night, and exhaustion swept over my body. The Wife had just finished feeding the Little One and handed him to me so I could put him to bed. He was just about down for the count himself, and he tucked his head under my chin, clutched his fingers around the collar of my shirt and fell asleep.

Good as I felt about how the rest of the day went, none of it came close to how I felt at that moment with the Little One out cold on my shoulder. For a few moments, I was flying. Damn right… Superman.

ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

On the seventh day of Christmas our little family…tried to make some cookies.

Take two literate, logical adults and one adorable, semi-sleepy four-month-old and add some ingredients, a few kitchen gadgets and ambition. Say a prayer. Laugh. Videotape for prosperity. Laugh some more. Go to the grocery store and buy a holiday dessert.

This was a highlight of our wonderful weekend of holiday prep. Baking cookies was a must on our list of Christmas traditions to introduce to the Little One. Not wanting to disappoint him, well, ourselves I guess, we gathered our supplies and set out Saturday evening to do whatever it took to fill our Tupperware with holiday cookies.

We settled on two kinds of cookies. First, we made sugar cookies and held the Little One on our laps as we used cookie cutters to make holiday shapes. Yes, I bought a pouch of Better Crocker sugar cookie mix and added the eggs and butter it required. I am not ashamed of cutting corners this way. Buying a simple mix is as much a tradition for us and as anything else we do.

Those finished cookies made it into our "Yum!" pile of things to eat this holiday season. Then we turned our attention to the most wonderful cookie around. Oreo balls are happiness coated in chocolate.

We have tried to make them several years in a row but often run into a speed bump. Mainly, how do we get the chocolate to melt for the dipping stage. Needless to say we once again were not successful this year. As I write, there are a couple dozen balls frozen to a plate in the freezer awaiting their glaze and a heap of dried chocolate chunk sitting in our garbage can.

Regardless of wether we finish the glazing or decide to eat them "naked," I think they are perfect. Yes, they look unusual and don't taste the way most people make them, but that wasn't our goal. I'm sure we'll eat our fair share of cookies made by much better bakers, but none will be so outstanding as the chaos we baked up together in our kitchen that night. The laughter will linger long after the taste of chocolate and Oreos fade.

NOTICING MOMMY (a digital short)

One of my favorite things to see is the Little One's face as he realizes that his Mommy is in the room. That's what we showcase here with this weekend's digital short, the power and joy of a smile.

ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS…

We caught this trio red-handed.

We let the aunties spoil the Little One.

No, that's not usually one of the wonders and joys of Christmas. And we'll probably learn the hard way today why it is really important to keep the Little One on a schedule.

The Wife and I went out last night for her company's holiday party, which was in Providence. As an aside, Fat Belly's Providence spot is a lot of fun and we did have a great time.

See, since the Little One arrived four months ago, we have left him exactly one other time, to attend the wedding of our friends.

So last night we decided to spend a night with the Wife's colleagues and friends. We are fortunate to have the Little One's aunties - Tara and Megan - who were willing to come spend the night with him.

We knew he would have a good time, and sure enough, the Little One was all smiles, waving to us without a care in the world as we left. The aunties have plenty of experience with kids.

Of course, spending time with their nephew is a little different. When we got home at 10:30 p.m., we busted all three of them.

That's right. Auntie Tara, Auntie Megan and the Little One were all still awake, chilling out on the couch. Yes, it was 10:30 p.m. - three hours after the Little One normally goes to bed - and there he was, wide awake and smiling sweetly at us as we walked in the room.

We could have been upset that he wasn't in bed.

But why? In the short term, I'm sure the Little One will be a little cranky tomorrow. Somehow we'll survive.

His aunties, his family, wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. He was in a good mood when we found him, so he clearly enjoyed the time with them.

If this was a regular pattern, I'd be concerned. But it's not. It's one night, and the Little One had an adventure with his family.

If the holiday season is about time with the family, then that's what we chalk last night up to. 

ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS...

On the fifth day of Christmas... our little family gave back.

They were there to give back. That's what I guessed when I saw my co-worker and her young son standing in the lobby of our office. They stood in front of our program director's door, presents in hand, waiting to pass them off to the office "elf" who was in charge of sorting and corralling all of the donations.

"Another kiddo will have a merrier Christmas," I thought as I walked back to my desk. "Make that TWO families," I corrected myself. From the look on his face, my co-worker's son was glad to be there and not just to see where his mom worked. He felt good about what they were doing. She looked quite proud too.

Like many offices, businesses, schools, churches and non-profit organizations, the human services agency that I work for tries to give back each Christmas by creating an "angel tree" of wishes from some of the most impoverished children we work with. From a distance, it is a paper tree tacked to a table-top bulletin board. Paper ornament balls cover most of the green tree surface. Each ornament is numbered and contains the age of a child and a short list of things that they need or would like for Christmas.

What sets us apart from many places of business that have trees is that we know the children the gifts will go to. We know how much they need that pair of pajamas or new shoes they asked for or that someone requested on their behalf. We know that the puzzle "Santa" gave them is their only one and that any book is as valuable as gold.

This holiday season, our family will do the same as many people and give in some way to others who have less and need much more. Most people do this with the blind faith that they are making a difference somehow. My co-worker's son was filled with that feeling. I hope that someday a few years from now I can stand in her shoes with the Little One at my side with a present he is ready to give.

It is the best gift I could ever give him.

STRESS, RELIEF

Simple pleasures help reduce stress.

No matter how good life gets, stress has a way of making its presence felt.

It's the arrival of both credit card bills on the same day.

It's the sticky spot on the kitchen floor from some type of spill that you forgot to wipe up, only to be reminded when you walk over the spot in your socks.

It's the never-ended battle against the dishes in the sink, which seem to multiply even though nobody has been home to make more of them dirty.

It's stuffing the Christmas cards, only to realize you still have to add addresses, return address labels and stamps.

It's thinking you can finally sit down and relax, only to realize the Little One still needs bottles made for the next day.

On their own, none of these are big deals. But damn it if each one doesn't have the potential to make you snap.

Yesterday was a long one for both the Wife and I. For no particular reason, we were both exhausted. She had some tough moments at work, and I know at my job, it was a battle just to keep my eyes open.

On days like that, any little item from the list above could have set either of us off. Instead, we found just as many reasons to stay on an even keel. For every crappy thing, there is something just as small that can make you remember to enjoy life.

It's the surprise visit from the office intern who spent the semester studying abroad in Germany. Oh, and she brought German chocolate!

It's the thoughtful gesture of the Wife, who brought a damp sponge to me so I wouldn't have to lick all the Christmas card envelopes.

It's the glass of chocolate milk that the Wife made for me after I stupidly licked the first couple envelopes before the damp sponge arrived. Yes, I am 34 and I love chocolate milk.

It's realizing that simple pleasures are a fun topic, which meant taking a picture of a glass of chocolate milk would be appropriate for this blog entry. Of course, this meant making a second glass of chocolate milk, since I already drank the first one. 

It's realizing that it is after 10 p.m., and dinner just wasn't in the cards for the night. But you don't mind, because a bowl of cereal sounds pretty darn good.

It's realizing that if this is what counts as a bad day in your life, you really have nothing to complain about.

Stress exists, and it rears its ugly head from time to time if you let it. Sometimes, though, it just isn't worth stressing over.

ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS...

On the fourth day of Christmas our little family…put up our nativity scene.

Life is just too short to be serious all of the time. Like most people, I've weathered serious moments in my life but I also do my best to learn from them or to find something to make me smile or laugh. I feel that way about Christmas.

There are jolly things all around us this time of year, but every year, as I sit in my red and green pajamas drinking hot cocoa and listening to Christmas music, I try to focus on the original meaning of December 25th.

The story of the first Christmas has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. What little girl doesn't like a story that has magic-like events, love and a baby? As an adult - and especially as a parent - the story of that miracle has even more meaning. I get it in a way that I couldn't when I was 6 years old.

Last night, as we put out our nativity scene, those serious thoughts went through my mind. Then I smiled thinking about how we get to carry on the tradition of our parents and tell the Little One that special story. I also smiled because three of my favorite memories about the nativity aren't serious at all, but light-hearted and sweet.

First, I remember dressing up to go to mass on Christmas Eve. I sat patiently in the pew with my family surrounded by other kids and their families - all of us little people barely able to contain our excitement over the fact that Santa's arrival was just hours away. In the big finale of the Christmas Eve service, the priest invited all of the kids up onto the alter. There, standing right next to the nativity scene that we were usually only allowed to look at from afar, we turned toward our families and sang "Happy Birthday." Very fitting.

Another favorite memory happened when I was visiting my great aunts during the holiday season. I always stayed with the older of the two sisters, Mary, but would visit Bea often since she only lived a couple of short blocks away. On this particular visit, Bea called my aunt's apartment and asked that I come over to see her nativity scene. I accepted the offer and made my way over.

Bea's figurines were large, well-cared for and important to her. That was most clear when it became late and she started to say goodnight. Tia Beattie reached under the table and pulled out a small piece of fabric no more that eight inches square. Then, sweet Bea gently placed the blanket over the baby Jesus statue and said, "Good night." Talk about innocence!

My final favorite nativity scene blooper happened more than once. When I was a child my family put our simple little nativity scene under the Christmas tree. The tiny figurines of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus stayed there all season with one exception. Every few days our cat, Sunday, who typically hung out under the tree as well would launch an unprovoked attack on the Holy Family. Poor Baby Jesus was usually knocked out of his manger and batted around the room before any of us could get to him. In his defense, Sunday the cat was just playing, but I imagine he still had some explaining to do years later when he went to kitty heaven.

ROCKING OUT

Love rocking out with the Little One.

Yesterday was one of those days I'd love to bottle up and save forever.

There wasn't anything exceptional about the day. As has become customary on Sundays, I had about five loads of laundry done before 11 a.m. That way the Little One and I could focus on an afternoon of mushing our brains with a little football on the idiot box.

But before football happened, we just spent time rocking out. He had already taken one nap on the day, but the Little One was getting tired again about 11:15 a.m. So I took him upstairs to walk around with him, preparing to try putting him down in the crib for a bit.

Before hitting the crib, we sat together in the rocking chair. Love that chair. It has been in the family for years, and now it sits in our bedroom for those times when the Little One needs a little help settling down.

So we sat, gently rocking and relaxing. He wasn't closing his eyes though. Instead, he was just looking up, watching.

So I started singing to him. And he started laughing.

Not just a smile with some baby noise. This was laughing. The kid was having a grand old time, so we kept going with it.

I remember a year or so ago, my buddy Kai told me he would stab himself in the eye repeatedly with a fork if it meant he got to hear his son laugh.

That was me yesterday. The neighborhood cats might have been complaining, but not the Little One. He was laughing and singing along in his own way. 

We sang In the Still of the Night, Uptown Girl, Mockingbird and, of course, Billionaire. That's right, Billionaire by Travis McCoy and Bruno Mars. It's the Little One's favorite. We don't really know any words besides the chorus, but he cracks a huge smile whenever I sing that one.

Eventually the Little One tired and went down for another quick nap. But not until after we rocked out.

FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE (a digital short)

We got the Little One's first Christmas tree last weekend. Here's a glimpse at the evening. This week's digital short features the song Everybody Loves Christmas Time, written and recorded by Scott Weller, husband of my good friend, Jessica. The song is available on iTunes for 99 cents, and a portion of each download goes to Make a Wish Foundation.

So far, we still don't have anything but the lights on it, but that seems to be enough for him. Each time we light it up, he stares and smiles like it's the most amazing thing he has ever seen.

ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS...

On the third day of Christmas our little family…read a Christmas book together.

As a little kid, I lived for Christmas. I thought about it all year and every December 26th didn't hesitate to start talking about plans for the next one. A little obsessed? Yes. Pretty normal for a little kid? Of course.

Second to Christmas morning, my favorite event of the season was the day we decorated the inside of our home. My mom would put an old Johnny Mathis Christmas album on our stereo and we would spend an entire Saturday afternoon coating each room in holiday bling.

The first order of business was to dig out the boxes of Christmas decorations that lived in the back of my brother's closet the rest of the year. As far as I was concerned, no matter how old and worn the cardboard, each box was a treasure chest that I delighted in opening for my mom. Each decoration had an assigned spot in our home were it stayed until after New Year's day. My mom removed each decoration and, unless it was fragile or hung in a spot I was too short to reach, reminded me where to put it. This lasted for hours until we reached my favorite box- the Christmas books. I never needed a reminder of where we kept them during the holidays. I would carefully gather them in my arms and walk downstairs to our gameroom and sit on the floor in front of the bookcase. She never said anything, but I have no doubt that my mom knew that once those books were in my hands she was on her own to finish the decorating.

Most of the books were Little Golden Books. Many were versions of classic holiday stories- The Christmas Story, Santa's Toy Shop and Frosty the Snowman to name a few. My eyes danced over the words and illustrations for hours. They were like old friends that I hadn't seen in a year. To this day I get chills thinking about how it felt to revisit those pages again and again throughout the season.

When I went away to college my days of helping put up the decorations came to an end. The books still decorated our bookshelf, but I had less time to sit and look at them. Silly me. I should have realized that someday I might not have the chance to go to them to fill me with the spirit of the season. I eventually moved out and years later Mom sold the house. I imagine that the books were donated to a charity thrift store along with most of the decorations.

I haven't thought about those books much during my adult years. Last night, as we sat and tried to read a Christmas book to our sleepy baby, my mind raced back to those days in my childhood and the special books that made me smile. I looked down at the Little One and made a wish that someday, without trying, he'll find that kind of holiday magic in himself.

RESPECT FOR PUTTING FAMILY FIRST

Before yesterday, I'd never
heard of Keith Fitzhugh.

There is a new football player who ranks among my all-time favorites, and I'm not sure I've ever seen him play.

Take a bow, Keith Fitzhugh.

If you haven't heard his story, earlier this week, Fitzhugh turned down an opportunity to play for the New York Jets. The Jets are a sure-fire playoff team (despite what the Patriots did to them on Monday night), and a rash of recent injuries left them short-handed at the safety position.

Why did Fitzhugh say, "Thank you, but no thanks?" Because he is more concerned about long-term job security and providing for his family through his current job as a conductor for the Norfolk Southern Railroad, a position he got in September shortly after being released by the Jets out of training camp. According to www.payscale.com, it's a position that pays about $49,000 annually.

With a father who is disabled and unable to work, Fitzhugh put his football dream aside in order to continue supporting his parents. He opted for the less lucrative, but more stable line of work.

It's really not an easy decision. There is big money to be made as an NFL player. Last season, the lowest salary paid to a New England Patriot player was $310,000. Using that figure as an estimate for the rookie minimum - which is what Fitzhugh likely would have received from the Jets - we can figure he could have made about  $77,500 over the next four weeks. Remember, he wouldn't get the full rookie minimum, but the prorated amount. With four regular-season games left, that's 25 percent of the full season.

However, there would have been more money to make, as the Jets are a near lock for the postseason. Each round that New York reached, all players would have received five-figure bonuses, win or lose. With each playoff victory, the size of the bonus increases in the next round.  In last year's Super Bowl between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts, the winning players for the Saints reportedly received $83,000 each. The Colts players, despite the loss, got $42,000.

As a player on a legitimate Super Bowl contender, it's entirely possible that Fitzhugh could have earned nearly $200,000 over the next two months. 

But then what? Football offered no guarantee moving forward. As a borderline NFL player, he probably had a less than 50-50 shot at making a roster next season.

It would have been awfully difficult to criticize Fitzhugh for signing with the Jets and pursuing an NFL career. He has been so close to playing among the best of the best. So close to big money and the biggest stage in professional football.

But he put family and stability above everything else. 

ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS...

On the second day of Christmas our little family…bought a Christmas tree.

We have a tree. We have lights. We have no ornaments yet, but we have a very happy baby. Life is good.

Let me back up a little to explain what I mean. Near the top of our list of things we wanted to do to celebrate the holidays this year was having Christmas tree. Last year we nixed the idea because it was mid-December before we got around to thinking about it and we were traveling for the holidays and wouldn't be around much to enjoy it. This year it was a must though.

It all started this past weekend with a trip to a local nursery and an encounter with two very nice and very, very cold men selling Christmas trees. They laughed at us for bringing both a video and still image camera out in the dark, windy night to capture the moment. The more we talked to them though, the more they reminisced about their own kid's first Christmases.

When we got home the Little One hung out in his chair and smirked as he watched his mom and dad struggle to get the tree in the stand straight. Just when we got things rolling though it was time for bed.

Day two was our big light adventure. We managed to string the lights on our tree without cursing or struggling much. Then it was time for the big reveal. When The Husband flipped the switch to turn on the tree lights, the look on the Little One's face…well…let's just say it was a look we will never forget. That look alone was all the joys of Christmas wrapped up in a single moment. It was bliss. And then, once again, it was time for bed.

Our goal for last night was to finally pull out our ornaments and start decorating the tree. In the end we settled on some baby snuggling on the couch while we sat and looked at the lights. Very simple. Very perfect. A very Merry Christmas to us.