Promises

December 21st - December 27th

Best 

For 27 years of my life I have had a Christmas tree to wake up to on December 25th.  Beautiful presents tucked away underneath.  Ornaments collected over the years dangling from the limbs.  Strings of lights shining softly casting a glow around the room.  One of my favorite things to do during Christmas time is to sit at night with all the lights off and look at the Christmas tree.  But in the 28th year of my life Christmas I did not have a tree.  It made me sad, but there was nothing I could do.  I just didn't have the extra time or energy to put up Christmas decorations when we would be spending Christmas in LAX anyway.  

But what is even sadder than missing out on my 28th Christmas tree, is Tavian missing out on his 1st.  I had nightmares of an older Babyhead coming to me and saying that for his 3rd grade art project all the kids had to bring in pictures of their first Christmas.  And me trying to explain that Momma just couldn't cut it that year and there is no picture of an adorable baby sitting in front of the tree trying to eat the wrapping paper off his presents.

Luckily, Fabulous Neighbor Laura rescued me from my Christmas-tree-less nightmare.  Her and the hubby Russ had a fantastic Christmas tree and suggested I bring Babyhead over with some of his presents, we'll snap some pictures, and boom...Tavian's first Christmas...with a tree!

So from 8:00 am to 8:30 am, Tuesday December 22nd became December 25th at #105 on Chenault St.  Not only was it a huge relief, but we captured some great Babyhead moments...and even had a very special visitor. And I promise Babyhead that next

 year we will have our own tree!

What is all this stuff?  Why is there a tree inside the house?

Are all these presents for me?

But who brought me all these presents?

Hey I really like this Santa guy!

Oh you mean we open the boxes too? I just like to push them around the floor.

My first Elmo from Great Uncle Les and Aunt Terry...yessss!

Mom this one is too big!

Thanks for all my wonderful presents everybody!

Worst

Traveling with a baby can be very challenging.  We can all recall the horrible flight Babyhead and I had on our way home from Colorado. As mothers who brave the task of keeping a baby happy for hours on end in a small space surrounded by strangers...we are bound to run into some problems.  So conisdering our flight to Costa Rica was departing at 1 am and usually Babyhead would be comfprtably snoozing in his crib, I was expecting the worst.  

But I am happy to blog that this was not another sky high nigtmare.  Although it took a lot of work, Tavian was very good on the plane and even slept for long periods.  This "Worst" is about the other screaming baby on the plane...correction screaming child.  Now I know how difficult it can be so I hate to rag on traveling families, but this incident was just wrong in every way.  Since it was a red-eye flight everyone was trying to get some sleep as best as they could, but periodically it would be inturrupted by the screams of what I can only desicribe as a demon child.  Literally it was the exact same sound as the kid from The Shining in that creepy voice.  But instead of "Red Rum, Red Rum" it was "No, no, mommy, no, mommy, etc." I have to think that if your child (this boy had to be at least 5 yrs) is able to verbally communicate at that level than he can also understand what his parents would try to communicate with him.  The problem being there was no parental commuicating going on...no trying to find out why he flet the need to scream...no explaining to him that it was time to be quiet now...or no even taking him to the bathroom and giving the rest of the passengers a break from the devlish howls.  And as the man in therom in front of me had to order another Jack and Coke in order from going back there and smothering the child and the parents with his airplane pillow, he turned to me and said "my mother would never let me get away with that."  To which I replied "Me too, and I won't let him (Babyhead) do it either."  And that's a promise!  I'm not saying Tavian will never cry or get frustrated that he is uncomfortable and wants to run around and play, but I am promising that I will do everything in my power to make sure we don't drive a plane full of passengers insane.