Christmas '10

Marcelo was very excited about Christmas and Santa Claus this year. When the day finally came, he didn't look like he was quite ready to wake up yet, but you know Sofia, she had to wake him up not a second later than the allowed agreed upon time in the morning.

After, he found the Skittles in his stocking, he was all good. Santa could have just stopped there.

Letter From Santa

Marcelo is such an advanced reader, he can read Santa's reply letter from the back side.

Santa

So, Marcelo started making some Santa sightings around Halloween time; once at Walmart in the fabric department and then around Thanksgiving time in the Smith's Marketplace parking lot. All of which, of course, I had to dissuade him from. The third sighting was at the Discovery Gateway (Children's Museum) lobby as we got out of the elevators on the main floor. I couldn't quite see down there but I started on my usual, "no, I don't really think that's him, honey"-speech. But alas, I was wrong. It was Santa Claus and by the time we got ourselves down the stairs with a stroller and bag, Santa had exited the building! We rushed outside just in time to see him get in his horse drawn carriage surrounded by, no not elves, Santa security. The kids yelled goodbye and waved as he drove off.

We did however, go back to Discovery Gateway a few weeks later, it was very not busy and the kids immediately assumed Santa would be in his rightful place in the lobby. Again, (I'm such a downer, I guess) I was like, "no, no, I'm sure he's not here again. It's late, bla, bla, bla ..." Well, there he was again. I don't really know what he was doing there, just sitting on a couch by a Christmas tree talking to a guy.  They werent' taking pictures, there was nobody else there.  So, we told the kids they could go talk to him (I was hoping for free. You never know). And they had a little chat. Unprepared as they were, however, Sofia asked for a dragon for the THIRD year in a row and Marcelo asked for the letter O.

And here is our latest Santa sighting at the Christmas Dance Recital where we finally got a picture.

Christmas Dance Recital

Marcelo's first major ... anything.

He's been going to dance class for only a couple of months. He's the only boy. He really likes it.

I was anxious to see how he would do. Would he remember his steps (OK, there really weren't any steps. It's mostly line dancing of the upper half of the body). Would he freeze up. Would he freak out and dive off the stage or pee his pants. Would he prove himself to be significantly genetically different from Sofia on the stage. (That's mostly what I was looking for. She picked her nose and looked up at the ceiling for most of her last preschool performance).

Success! He remembered his moves (mostly). He had fun. And then he thought he was a freaking rock star when we got home and wouldn't stop acting like a weirdo and bouncing off the walls.

Sleeping Habits

This is how Marcelo slept a couple months ago. Now, he has added the crib size duvet, the rocking chair pillow, blanky, monkey, and monster. I have to push him with the door just to get in the room and deposit him back in the bed.