Living Up Christmas with a 2 Year Old

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Let’s get this straight. I love Christmas.  Hell…we have established I am an only child. OF COURSE I LOVE CHRISTMAS.  I always got everything I wanted.  It rocked.  I hope to be able to make my kid light up like freakin glow stick with presents…but ya know what? I can do that now with a cool box and a stick.  Everyone keeps asking us what Landon is getting from Santa.  To Landon? He is getting jack shit from Santa. He has no idea. We have mentioned Santa and the concept but he really doesn’t get it…nor seems to care to get it. To him, we will get up on Sunday like usual and that day, there will be presents.  He will ogle them for 10 minutes and probably go back to his stuffed dog and plastic train. And I am ok with that. He likes seeing Christmas trees and the abundant amount of Chex mix in the house but other than that…whatever.  We didn’t take him to see Santa.  We don’t blast Christmas music.  We don’t watch old Christmas movies with him. I haven’t had him make a gingerbread house.  I’m not a scrooge…I am logical. And you know why? Because he is 2. I am not standing in a 2 hour line to see that kid knock out Santa. I see the wrath when he doesn’t want to brush his teeth…much less sit on a strange person’s lap. A gingerbread house would be a hour of me setting it up for 2 minutes of confusion and sugar high.  O 2, Glorious 2. So I am living it up another  year where we don’t have to place elves on shelves and hide presents around the house (note his tricycle is sitting in the garage…he never notices).  I can buy 2 things and know he will be over the moon to just have 1 new Thomas to add to his troop. He will be just as excited to see his grandparents and play tickle monster with them than anything. I can’t say we will keep the commericalism out of Christmas forever but this year? We totally get to.

</rant>

8 thoughts on “Living Up Christmas with a 2 Year Old

  • December 23, 2011 at 11:39 am
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    Hey lady, I am with you on de-materializing Christmas. We have always been sparse with the Santa and Christmas presents with the boys, instead trying to focus on having fun with them. We only got them a couple of things at age 2 but that’s when we started traditions like going to Pullen Park, making cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve, and staying in pjs as long as possible on Christmas morning.

    However I did want to say that 2 year old Nate and Alex at Pullen Park might be one of my all-time favorite memories. We told them we were going to ride a train, and when we got there they heard the train bell. They TORE OFF, screaming and yelling “WAIT ALEX! WAIT NATE! WAIT TRAIN!” They did not understand the train would come again and again. We rode that thing like 7 times in a row and they never got tired of it. I get tears in my eyes thinking about how magical that night was, how much fun. To me, that’s Christmas. Having fun with my family. Not about the STUFF.

    PS. we have never waited in line more than 10 minutes to see Santa. We go early and on a work night. I think people who wait for two hours are cray cray.

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  • December 23, 2011 at 3:13 pm
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    Ahh I totally agree! Our daughter is 16 months, and everyone keeps asking what we’re getting her for Christmas. I’m like why? She has no idea what’s going on, nor what presents are. My husband took her to see Santa this morning and she had a meltdown. See, I knew she wouldn’t like it. 😉 We got her 2 things and some people act like it’s neglect. Seriously? She’s more excited about the empty boxes she can jump in and out of than the gifts themselves. I am SO with you on this one!

    However, once old enough, I hope to play up Christmas as much as we did when my sisters and I were little. For I do love the holiday, just not necessarily all the hype.

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  • December 23, 2011 at 10:21 pm
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    My MIL will probably never forgive us for not taking Tucker to see Santa this year (he’s only 14 months old!) But it pains me every time I see one of those pictures of a toddler screaming and crying on Santas lap. Why would I want to wait in line for an hour and a half so that I can get a “funny” picture. No thank you!

    Reply
    • December 25, 2011 at 9:06 pm
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      HOLLA! They can get over it. It’s your kid. Boom

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  • December 24, 2011 at 1:43 pm
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    This post is everything I love about you. Especially the Chex Mix.

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    • December 25, 2011 at 9:05 pm
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      Chex mix…it’s delicious…it’s got 60% less fat than potato chips..TM

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      • December 29, 2011 at 9:40 pm
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        DUDE. I don’t know why that comment posted as Jason. It was totally me.

        Reply

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