We had a very joyous, relaxing holiday season here in New York. Lucky Max gets to celebrate two December holidays. Max liked putting strands of decorations on our Christmas tree and taking apart the ball ornaments.
The first night of Hanukkah we had some friends and Aunt Ashly over for dinner. Ashly was a lot of help making the potato pancakes, a very messy but yummy affair.
Trying to blow out the candles.
Every evening Max is so happy and watchful as Mark lights the menorah and sings.
One night we let Max help hold the candles.
We got to visit Santa at Mark’s office. Max had no problem sitting on this bearded stranger’s lap.
Max had fun playing Starfall on Daddy’s computer and admiring the Christmas tree in the lobby – a little bigger and fancier than the one in our apartment.
On Christmas Eve we made cookies for Santa. It’s a good thing Max decided to take his clothes off – he figured out how to turn on the mixer, and put it a little too high after we added the flour.
Christmas morning Max had his new favorite food, nova (smoked salmon) for breakfast. The day before Mark had braved the cold to get us bagels, cream cheese, and more for the weekend, forgetting that Brittney couldn’t eat smoked fish while pregnant. He was worried he got too much nova, but our foodie toddler ate about half a pound over the next three days.
Then we opened presents around the Christmas tree.
Max enjoyed taking things out of his stocking (and putting them back in).
Max opened all the presents for himself, Mark, Brittney, Ashly and a few for her dog Edie. The process took over 2 hours because Max had to meticulously rip and crumple every piece of wrapping paper and hand it to ‘Dada.’
And of course he also had to play with each present that he (slowly) opened.
He especially enjoyed a shape-sorting dump truck from Uncle Alan, Aunt Karen and cousins Sam and Anna.
He also liked an awesome train set from Aunt Becky, Uncle Elion and cousins Ryan & Spencer, a book about the Boogie Monster and an alphabet animal puzzle from Aunt Courtney, Uncle Byron, cousin Sidon and Aunt Ashly, who played with him patiently throughout the present-opening marathon.
This kid got a lot of presents!
We video skyped with Nonna and Papa in the morning while Max opened the art table and wheelbarrow from them. Max had a lot of fun playing with the wheelbarrow later in the day when we finally got him out of his pajamas.
He’s also been opening a present each night of Hanukkah from Bubbe and Poppy. He really likes this farm puzzle and has gotten very good at putting the pieces together (and dumping them back out).
We’ve enjoyed sharing our favorite parts of our favorite holidays with our enthusiastic son. The best part of the three day weekend may have been all the family time we spent together. Max loves wrestling (or doing anything) with his dad.
