I can't believe Christmas is practically here. I know things got kind of quiet around the old Hardlyborn, but as ever, life overtakes all other events. Here it is, the eve of Christmas Eve and it's been two weeks since K returned from her travels and the entire family was reunited. Such fun.

After much deliberation, Reid and I decided to launch an expedition to retrieve his mom from the airport, versus allowing her to fend for herself with airport taxis and whatnot. Even though she is a jaded business traveler, and she had been in transit from a wartorn Middle Eastern nation, her heart still melted when that half-pint went streaking across the customs greeting area as she rounded the corner through the big one-way doors. Such simple pleasures life offers us.

We've spent most of the last two weeks preparing for Christmas and getting back to normal. My misadventures with the tree continued, and I did, in fact, permanently break our old Christmas tree stand. Fortunately, a new stand has taken its place, and lends a surprising amount of stability to the wopperjarred conifer that now squats in our living room (though we still need to weigh down the base with a sack of something or other). Nonetheless, Katrena was pleased to see a tree in residence, and soon after she returned home, we decorated the tree and now love having it aglow in the background as we chase Reid around. While he seems to understand there is a tree in our house, he has only removed one or two ornaments, and gingerly. He has great respect for the tree. So far.

During a recent cold snap, K and I went crazy and decorated the front of the house. We figured since we're staking a claim on Christmas at home, we might as well do it up. Several frigid hours of entwining garland and lights later, we've got a fairly classical twinkling boughs of pine effect going out front. Quite festive.

As we've made the rounds seeing friends who were heading out of town and whatnot, Reid has begun to collect some fancy gifts. It is amazing how quickly he has begun to understand the concept of a wrapped gift as something you willfully destroy the outside of to gain access to the fun playtime within. Just a week ago he was hestitant. Now he tears into the boxes with gusto. Last night we were at a dinner and one of us received a small gift from the hostess. Before anyone else could think to open theirs, Reid had shredded the wrapping on ours and was working on plain old tearing up the box. He's in training for 12/25.

I'll hopefully have a full array of photos of Reid's Christmas morning triumphs sometime in the next few days. The great thing about our decision to stay home, though, is that it's giving Reid a dose of Christmas' real meaning: family and friends gathered around together. Tomorrow night we host some of our close friends new and old for a modified version of the traditional Italian feast of seven fishes and spaghetti and oil. Then Christmas day the Hendersons come in for a few days of celebrating and babysitting, then a few days after that, my mom will join us, followed by my dad. Reid will be surrounded by family and friends for a week!

Merry Christmas. (Above is a picture of Reid playing with one of his latest acquisitions, the Chico Flip and Play Activity Table. Here we have Reid and my mom in front of her Christmas tree.)