Here Comes Santa Claus!

The last few days have been fairly uneventful in the Wood household, but I can say that we have our Christmas tree up. It isn't decorated, but all in due time. Our babysitter, however, has a beautifully tall tree that is perfectly decorated with giant bulbs and pretty lights, complete with tinsel and a big red star on top. Rachel loves to stare at it, and I am excited to get ours finished so she will have yet another distraction in our house.

It is getting more and more difficult to keep the child entertained, and I really fear that she is growing smarter than I am. Her sense of humor is so well-developed, and she just has to watch us do something once and she immediately attempts to do it herself. She is very independent and very strong-willed, which makes me both proud and frustrated.

I am really excited for the holidays this year, and I am hoping my attempt to take the days around Christmas off of work will be successful. Last year I was close, but then I snagged the ticket to the National Championship game in New Orleans, so I had to switch my vacation days because I was too busy at work to do both. This year I am only planning on working the Monday before Christmas and possibly New Years Eve. We never really do anything for NYE anyway, and I can't see that changing with the little one around. Maybe we will pop open the bottle of champagne that has been in the fridge since last NYE.

But the main reason I am excited for the holidays is sharing them with Rachel and Duane. I am excited to see what Santa brings her, excited to watch her reaction to things, and I am just really excited that I have her in my life to enhance the holidays for me. Tonight we watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as we went through our nightly ritual, and I haven't been so interested in that show in years. Everything that I have forgotten about from childhood holidays make me very excited to relive things through my daughter. And we are getting pictures with Santa soon too!!