Sheesh, I thought I would get this post up weeks ago. The holidays are long over now!
Audrey was old enough this year to understand Christmas. She got very excited about Santa Claus and still tells us he is going to come "tonight". She loved the lights and whenever we drove after dark she would ask us to help her look for well-lit houses. She lamented the fact they they went away after the New Year, but she's excited for them to come back next year.
Both girls had a great time decorating and enjoying the tree. They didn't even destroy it daily like we thought they might. Audrey was busy playing computer games when we took it down and was completely oblivious. It was out of the house before she noticed.
We found some great toys for the girls at Carol's favorite toy store, along with some classics like Lincoln Logs. We bought duplicates of the toys we thought might cause the biggest sibling battles. Both girls are still playing with their gifts three weeks later, so we must have chosen alright.
We spent Christmas Eve with Carol's family at Uncle Bob and Aunt Torii and cousin Alex's house. We had a great dinner with the niece and nephews. Christmas day we went to Aunt Tricia and Uncle Frank's in Puyallup for a fantastic feast.
I had two four day weekends for Christmas and New Years. It was great to spend extra time with the family. We all have a hard time when I have to go back to work after time off; we miss each other. It's a joy to come home from work on any day. Charlotte runs to me with arms outstretched and must be held by Daddy for 5 or 10 minutes. Audrey wants a quick hug and then starts pleading, "Chase me!" So we do both: I carry Charlotte and chase Audrey and tickle her when I catch her. It's a highlight of my day.
Carol and I signed up for a parenting class called "Love and Logic". It started last Sunday and there are five sessions total. For kids Audrey's age it focuses on tools for dealing with whining and for getting cooperation with things like getting dressed or eating and with sibling issues. We've been using the techniques with Audrey and they are already beginning to work. As the founders of the program say in their videos, we can view parenting as a savings account, making deposits (effort) now that pay off later, or as a credit card that we avoid dealing with now but at potentially great cost later.
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