Happy This, Merry That... Can I Stop Wearing Red Now?

Drive, eat, take toys out of boxes... at first it seemed as if this is all that these "holidays" were. As the week went on, I realized that it was a bit more than that, but being that I'm still a baby I tend to generalize. One thing I did notice was that Christmas is not like it is on TV. There was no white stuff on the ground or falling from the sky; there was no crisis to threaten the very arrival of the festivities, only to be saved at the last minute by some miraculous occurance; and nobody broke into song in the middle of a conversation. Ho, ho, humbug.

First stop was Papa and Grammy Greenwald's. We were there for three days, and we saw Great Grandma Greenwald and Aunt Ethel while we were there. Aunt Carrie, Uncle Billy, Andy, and Emily came by on Christmas Eve. This was my first chance to open presents! The tree had about a million boxes, bags, and other objects wrapped in colorful papers. Here's what I don't get: people spend hours ellaborately wrapping these gifts and making them look so pretty, and then they just get torn open a few days later. Someday I'm sure it will make more sense. Anyways, I had so much fun. I got a musical train from Papa and Grammy, a neat rattle from Aunt Carrie and Uncle Billy, and a BIG dinosaur from Mom and Dad.

That evening, we went to Papa and Grammy's church. There were a lot of people there, and the music was very pretty. Towards the end, the lights were dimmed and everyone held a candle. It was neat to see all of the little lights being held in the air as everyone sang. I sang, too.

The next morning we woke up very early and drove down to see Grandpa and Grandma Buck and Uncle Mikey. Upon our arrival, Mommy notified me that there had been a guest there the night before, and that he left some things for me in a big old sock above the fireplace. Turns out that Santa Claus (once thought to be a fat Kenny Rogers) came and brought us all gifts. How he knew I'd be there that morning is beyond me, but I hear that he has elves that used to work for the CIA or something (Quick background on that: It seems that upon the end of the Cold War the capitalist elves were out of work since there was no reason to spy on the communist elves anymore. Santa hired them up a short time after and his naughty/nice intelligence has never been better.). After we looted the Santa presents, we headed to church. This was good news for me because it gave me a chance to sing again. Everyone must really think I have a great voice because they all turn to look at me whenever I do.

After church...more presents! This time from Grandpa and Grandma. The best was an American Girl doll from Chicago. I named her Lucy. Lucy and I get along great, and I told her I thought we should be roommates. So far she's kept her stuff pretty neat and has not been too loud. I see this as a start of a beautiful friendship.

Later on, Great Grandma and Grandpa Kneffel came over with Aunt Barbra and Uncle John. Everyone had a lot of fun, and ate a LOT of food. I stuck to my peas and formula (see above). Great Grandma and Grandpa Buck came by that evening, and I got to meet my Uncle Ron, Aunt Robin, and second cousin Kara. Dad told me that they were "cheeseheads" because they lived in Wisconsin. Now maybe I wasn't looking in the right places, but I checked their heads thoroughly and did not find an ounce of cheese. Kara smelled a bit of gouda at times, but I never found any evidence.

So overall, my first Christmas was a lot of fun. I liked spending time with all of my family... but it was nice to come home to relax a bit. I'm spent. Time to kick back, roll around, and finally figure out this crawling thing...I gotta figure out how to stop going in reverse.

Happy New Year!

Wow, I'm Going to Have a Lot More Friends :)

Mom and Dad just found out that I'm going to have more friends around real soon. Brendan and Nikki, Brian and Julie, Doug and Elizabeth, and Mark and Mandy are all having babies soon! I can't wait to meet them all and tell them about how things work. I pretty much have this place all figured out by now.

Strange Traditions and Rituals are Afoot!

So ever since it started getting cold outside, it seems like Mom and Dad have me doing some weird stuff. Strange outfits, colorful decorations, and big meals have been a weekly thing it seems. Though it's been fun, I don't seem to quite understand the point if it all. I'll talk to the kids at daycare about it and see what thay know.

So a while back, when the trees were all different colors, we drove over to see Great Grandpa and Grandma Kneffel. Mom put me in a funny outfit. It was soft and fuzzy... and Dad kept taking pictures of me in it. While we sat and talked, people kept coming to their door and Great Grandpa Tom kept giving them candy. This went on for a few hours. The people looked really funny, and sometimes I wasn't even sure if they were people at all. It was silly, but kinda scary. I had fun.

A few weeks later we headed over to Papa and Grammy's house in Grand Rapids. Right when we got there, I noticed that it smelled really good. Papa and Grammy were running around the kitchen with all sorts of bowls and plates of things. Then, out came "the bird". It didn't look like a bird, but everyone kept calling it one. Aunt Carrie, Uncle Billy, Andy, and Emily all came over, too. They all ate a lot of food, but I couldn't keep from thinking that that "bird" looked like it could use that outfit Mom had put me in a few weeks before... it must have been cold. Dad and Papa were also busy putting trees and lights all around the house for a couple of days. I've never seen a tree inside before, but the lights were very pretty. From top to bottom, Papa and Grammy's house was covered in green and red, light and glitter, and some chubby guy with a beard. That Kenny Rogers guy really let himself go.

So the day after the feast, Grandma and Grandpa Buck drove up and met Mom, Dad, and I at a big mall. Now I'm no stranger to these "malls", but this was different. There were A LOT more people than usual, and everyone seemed either in a real big hurry, or they were just standing around in a long, long, long line. Dad told me that this was capitalism in action. Ok, Dad...whatever you say (Dad says silly things sometimes... I don't have the heart to tell him he's nuts). Anyways, we were out there all day, and it was fun to see all of the commotion. I had to take a couple naps, but all-and-all it was fun.

It seems as if this idea of bringing trees inside has caught on, and Mom and Dad brought one inside the other day. I like looking at all of the little toys and shinny things on it...it's pretty. There's a little town undeneath it that lights up, too. Mom told me that this Kenny Rogers-looking guy's going to come around to everyone's house and give them things. That's great and all, but I just hope I don't get his CD. Dad plays alot of great music for me, but "You Decorated My Heart" is a song I could do without. I'll stick with the Coldplay, U2, and that other band the kids seem to like these days.

We'll I can't wait to see what other crazy stuff I get to take part in over the next few weeks. This is all quite strange to me. Next thing you know, they'll be talking about giant rabbits going around and giving candy to kids, or little angels who shoot people with magic arrows. Ha, now I'm just being silly.