Holiday Cheer

This is the first year Eli has really gotten into the holiday spirit. He gets so excited to see Christmas trees and lights. He loves singing the holiday songs he learned at preschool and got to perform for all the parents at the holiday party. He has been a very lucky boy and got to go with daddy to three tree lighting ceremonies around the city and saw Santa at each. He especially loved singing Jingle Bells onstage while ringing the sleigh bells and giving a very enthusiastic HEY after each verse (see bottom photo). He now knows the mayor as the man who counts down before the tree lights turn on - municipal government according to Eli.
He got to go to a Hanukah party, but it was the night before his birthday party so we had to have a talk about how he was NOT to blow out the menorah candles. He also had a tantrum in the car on the way because he forgot to bring his dreidel that Grandma gave him, so we assured him our friend Craig would give him a loaner to play with at the party.
This will be my first Christmas ever away from my family, and Christmas was always THE big family event where everyone got together on mom's side, so it's a little hard trying to explain to Eli our early faux-Christmas at Nana's. I guess we'll just do the whole Santa thing at Grandma's house for Eli but Justin is very bah-humbug about the whole Christmas observance, so he thinks I'm overdoing the holiday as it is. Lets just hope the traffic over the hills and through the woods to Grandmother's house isn't too bad and both kids stay quiet most of the way or I'll be bah-humbug too.