Natalie & Ryan: Christmas, Round 2

It's important to Ryan and I that we make sure to keep our own traditions each year for Christmas. We love getting to spend time with family, but getting to have our own Christmas with just the three of us was a must this year. That way, we can open our presents together as a family, and not have to lug them to someone else's house, just to make everyone watch us open them. And, what was the point of me decorating a tree, if I didn't get to put Christmas presents under it, and open them on Christmas morning?

I was especially excited for Christmas this year. Last year I was excited because it was Lilly's first, but this year I was excited because I thought maybe she'd actually understand unwrapping presents. We enjoyed getting to play Santa's helpers the night before, while we stacked all the presents under the tree. The next morning, we just kind of slowly walked behind Lilly, as we watched her investigate. As my mother always did, I had a few unwrapped toys under the tree. Those were what she ran to first. Then she started digging into stockings, even if they weren't hers. Unwrapping gifts became boring after the 3rd or 4th, so I unwrapped them for her, while daddy assembled toys. Something I'm not used to is playing with the toys the second I unwrap them. She insisted on playing with each and every one before we'd move onto the next.

There was one present I was particularly excited to see Lilly play with. It's an elephant that pops balls up in the air. I thought she'd love it, since she loves balls. Well, we've played with it several times, and each time promises a fit of hysterics. She's mortified of the thing, and spends the entire time crying "BALL!!" while trying to save the balls from the terrifying elephant. It's funny, but sad at the same time. I think a few more rounds, and we can convince her it's not going to eat her.

Ryan and I kept the gifts to each other on the tame side, because we wanted this Christmas to be about Lilly. I got him a watch case with two new watches, some Very Sexy cologne from Victoria Secret, and a bunch of movies. He got me a Portal (nerd XBOX game) cookie jar, an Origami Owl floating locket, a Chi straightener, and a Willow Tree figurine. I joked that the cookie jar was more for him than it was for me. We spent the morning playing with our new toys, and then we packed up and headed North for Christmas with the Goodrichs.