we're waiting for Christmas

This is the first year that Little N has been excited about Christmas.  He loves the lights (like me!) and he knows that he'll be receiving new toys on Christmas.  Any place that we go that has lights up or a Christmas tree Little N will announce, "They're getting ready for Christmas!"  At home he says, "We're waiting for Christmas.  She's coming home.  She's coming to our house."

the tree!

The tree is up and decorated with little lights and glittered construction paper stars.  Little N likes the lights to be turned on all the time, and considering how dark these days are it's easy to oblige him.  Each night we open another window in our advent calendar, counting down the days until the Christmas tractor, Little N's most desired toy, will appear under the tree.

checking out the neighbors' lights

We're still figuring out our holidays and traditions as a family.  This year Christmas is just about the tree and lights, toys and family.  Little N hasn't learned about Santa Claus or Baby Jesus yet.  Frankly, we haven't decided what we'll teach him.  But he's noticed the darkness, though it doesn't phase him like it does me.  We'll be riding a bus in the late afternoon and he'll declare, "It's nighttime!"  The other passengers chuckle and then we trudge along through the streetlights to our own glimmering home.

climbing up for a better view

Years ago I saw a planetarium show of the winter sky.  The program wove together this dark time of year with the different customs that have developed around it.  I'd love to find something similar to share with Little N and start teaching him to make sense of this season and all it's come to mean to people.