It Christmas Time Again, Baby

And the Christmas spirit is in full swing here! I had thought long and hard about not having a Christmas tree this year since Chance is into an investigating stage... And for the last couple of years we had been looking for a fake tree to buy, and had kinda given up on finding one that we liked and could afford. A fake tree would've been ok to have up, but not a real one this year. Then I came across a fake one I love and "ta da!" We have a Christmas tree after all!! While Charlie was staying with my folks this Sunday we decided to assemble it, and to my great delight, Chuck actually got into the Christmas spirit, and went on the roof to install lights outside. We've never had lights up before! Having an almost-3-year-old has caused a lot of this. When we were in Tennessee, Charlie would get so excited when he saw houses lit up with Christmas lights. So we surprised Charlie when he got home, showing him that now he had a "Christmas house" as he calls it. Tonight we put the ornaments on the tree, and it is amazing what a difference a year makes. Last year I had to keep Charlie away from the tree most of the time, but this year he could hang the ornaments himself, even the breakable ones! His favorite ornaments were the trains (no surprise there), and my Green Ford Explorer...child after my own heart! Afterwards we enjoyed a game of sword fighting with the wrapping paper rolls. We're pirates, Charlie says. I guess the Christmas spirit only lasts so long...

Our tree, before ornaments:


And after:

Good job, Charlie!

Chuck, bravely hanging lights, and trying to give me a heart attack ("I don't need a harness. If I fall I'll just blame it on you for making me do this," he says. Thanks, Honey!).


Also an update on Chance's ears. We saw an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat dr) yesterday, and he said he does need tubes in his ears, and they fit us into his schedule for today. So he wasn't allowed any food or drink today until after the surgery at 1 pm, which made him very fussy, of course. So I did allow him about 2 ounces of water, not realizing that this was forbidden as well... So we got into the pre-operation room, and they said they'd have to cancel! I felt terrible! I should've read the information better. So we've rescheduled for next week, at 8 am which will be much easier on him. I'm really looking forward to him getting some relief (and sleeping through the night). Oh, and the good news is he hasn't incurred any damage to his hearing from the infections. Thank you, Lord!

Funny Stories:

Chance is still roaring at everything. I put him in the tub yesterday, and he roared at a little rhinocerous toy. After his bath, he proceeded to carry rhino around the house roaring at it...or for it...I dunno! He loves it when he roars and then I cover my face and tell him he's scary.

In the car today Chance was babbling "Da da da da" to his little truck toy, and Charlie informed it "not 'da da da da', it's just 'monster truck.'" Later he told him "Da da not here, only Mommy." Today Chance has been saying "ma ma ma ma" and "na na na na" a lot more, which is nice to know that Mommy and Nana are moving up the list, up there with Dada and Buba.

Chance, just like his brother at his age, has found a new toy: Mommy's wallet. It is so much fun to pull everything out!