Bah, Humbug!

I was feeling like a Grinch yesterday. I know, with an adorable little guy like Jax running around, how can I be anything but oozing holiday spirit? Somehow, I managed to be Scrooge-y. I was feeling guilty that our house isn't super-decorated in honor of Jax's first real Christmas (he was only 2 months old last year), and I'm nervous that he will destroy any candles, knickknacks, or trimmings that I hang near the chimney with care. We haven't gone out of our way to torture him with his first Santa-sitting experience: I am afraid of the germs and just pain-in-the-neck-ness of waiting in line and trying to get him to sit nicely. I know, I know, the screaming pictures are the most fun, but I'm just not that into it. Maybe because that wasn't such a big part of my holiday experience growing up. And then lastly, we hadn't done any holiday cards, much to everyone's chagrin. So really, I was very Scrooge-a-licious. Here I am, blessed with a beautiful, healthy, happy little guy, and all he gets is a Christmas tree and some stockings.

See? I don't even remember to turn the lights on.

So, yesterday, I was feeling guilty about it. I should be more of a motivated holiday mom. Not much I could really do it about, but some things were in my control. I got a few more holiday decorations that are kid-friendly (i.e. window clings that just fall off), I bought a copy of The Night Before Christmas, and yes, Virginia, I did indeed order Christmas cards. Unfortunately for all of you, I could only order so many due to budget restraints, but I promise to scan it and post it here for you all to enjoy.

Now came the bigger problem: a holiday photo. I know the few of you out there with toddlers know that having Jax pose oh-so-sweetly in front of the tree with our oh-so-tame dog sitting handsomely next to him was out of the question. I could barely get him dressed, let alone ready for a photo shoot. And I didn't want to reuse a picture everyone had already seen. So I dragged the poor kid out, with the temperature hovering around freezing, in various layers of red, and threw him in the snow. Here are the ones that didn't make the cut:

He looks like the Notorious B.I.G with this jacket on. Notice the ever-present truck. It was the only way to keep him still, since he didn't think trucks drive on snow. He must need snow tires.

Lost the jacket, but he wouldn't look at me.

Lastly, he got snow in his boots, so that was the end of that. There's a more terrible shot of him crying, but with all these new teeth he looked like a troll.

Happy now, folks? You'll get your Christmas card, even if the kid contracted pneumonia for you to get it. Just kidding--I was actually pretty happy with it when all was said and done. Let's just see if I have the gumption to address them all actually put them in the mailbox in a timely manner. Don't hold your breath! Humbug!