Lights gone wrong.

Andrew and I have created a fun tradition in our little family..... well, it's usually fun. We like to go down to Temple Square as a little family, eat at the Lion House Pantry for dinner then go see the lights. When we have gone down before it has been perfect. Not this year. We pulled into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building just a titch before 5:00pm. We figure it was the perfect time to beat the crowd for dinner then stroll though the lights and be on the road and on our way home before 7:00pm. Not the case this year. The Pantry was a joke. The line was over an hour wait!! People were there to eat before the Tabernacle Choir Concert which started at 7:30. Why were they all there so early??!!?? So we figured since it was getting dark the lights would be on soon and we would do that before dinner. WRONG AGAIN!! The lights aren't all the way on until 6:15pm. So, we did what everyone else did while they were waiting for the lights.... go to the visitor center. It was packed. I almost gave up at this point, but my positive husband encouraged me to stick it out. Long story short.... by the time the beeping lights went on and we had our long, long wait for food at the Pantry we had a tired, cold, grumpy and hungry little boy. We ate quickly and weren't on the road to go home until well after 8:00pm. To be honest, it made me a little bah humbug. I need a little Christmas Cheer. Maybe we will try another activity, possibly Zoo Lights to mend my attitude. Better yet, maybe we will pass on the crowd, get take out and watch a Christmas movie by our own tree.

SANTA!!!

Christamas time is so much more fun with a toddler. Warren is getting a kick out of all of it. We watch the movie Elf every other day. Seeing the lights is more exciting. Warren thinks Santa is "awesome." We were lucky enough to sneak a private session with Santa this year. My parents had Santa and Mr. Clause visit their ward party. We snuck in a little early to see them and Warren thought it was so cool. He ran right up and sat on both of their laps. Not a nervous bone in that kids body.

Tractor.

Sometimes I wonder if Warren had to pick me or Papa's tractor, the tractor would win. He loves that thing.

Smart little stinker.

I wish I had time to write about all of the hilarious things Warren does. He really makes me laugh all day long. This one is so funny, I had to write it down.....


Nap time at our house is a little different than some. I usually wait until Warren tells me he's sleepy to put him down. Once he tells me he's sleepy he goes into his own room, climbs into his own crib and goes to sleep. He rarely puts up a fight to go to sleep. It has worked for us because it is usually the same time of day and it isn't uncommon for him to sleep for 4 hours in the day and still 12-13 at night. He is so intense during the day when he's awake that he needs more sleep than most kids.

The other day I wanted to make sure he went down for a nap at noon. We had plans that afternoon and I wanted him to be pleasant so I was trying to force a nap which never is good at our house. I put him in his crib and knew he wouldn't go right down. I heard him climb out of his crib and start to play. I figured it wouldn't hurt to let him play for a few minutes, so I let it go. About 5 minutes later I heard him jumping in his bed. Good, I thought. At least he's back in his bed and may attempt to take a nap. After 10 minutes of him jumping in his bed I thought I'd better go in his room and tell him to stop jumping and go to sleep. So i made it up the stairs and the second I put my hand on the door nob I heard a "plop". It was Warren dropping down in his bed, he pulled his blanket up over him and WAS FAKING HE WAS ASLEEP!!!!! What kind of 2 year old does that? It was so funny I had to leave the room to laugh. He is such a riot.

My favorite....

Every Christmas I pull out a quote and hang it on the fridge to remind my little family that there is more to Christmas than the hustle and bustle, the gifts and the treats.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes and bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
-Dr. Seuss