Holiday Wrap-Up 2012

Happy New Year! It was two years ago I posted this. And I'm finally ready to wrap up our first big holiday season with Simon. Fair warning, this is long. We need to start back at Thanksgiving.

We spent Thanksgiving with the Rambeck's and Simon enjoyed the bounty of food including lefsa, once we told him he wasn't supposed to stuff it with the other food like you would a tortilla.

Didn't appreciate the lutefisk much. 

We started the Christmas 2012 extravaganza opening gifts at home with just the 4 of us (yes I'm referring to Gretzky as well). Alpha brought donuts and grapes and Pinterest gave me the idea of wrapping Simon's gifts into a tower to look like a snowman.

After that we left for Grandma and Grandpa Albergs. We had a few days there, including Christmas with the extended Alberg family. Simon even stole a little snuggle time with Great Grandma.

And he enjoyed running amuck with all his cousins and participating in the Fashion Show.

And then it was time to open our family gifts. I wasn't sure how Simon would do taking turns opening gifts, but he was pretty excited about everyone's gifts and luckily no one seemed to mind receiving a little "help" opening.

Driving his blue tractor ornament.

Cousins

And one of the GREATEST things about Christmas 2012 is the older kids are old enough to be in charge of Christmas Nachos. Yeaaaaah buddy.

On Christmas day, we were off to Steve's aunt and uncle's home. Somehow we didn't end up with any photos from there? Preposterous. Simon had a great time playing hide and seek with Kristin, who is officially attending the U of MN next year and we are SUPER excited!

From there we drove to Grandma and Grandpa Rambeck's where Simon gets endless attention and his choice of adult to boss around:) We opened more gifts, ate more food, and got to relax for a couple days before heading home.

Last night we rang in the new year with some good friends. 

"Mom get your fat head outta the way, Caillou is on"

Since we've been home we have also been able to put together the activity table we got Simon for Christmas. It's sorta an adjustable art/activity/train table. Mostly, it's just been a train table since that is how it's typically set up.

Simon and I took a trip to Target right at 9am this morning to have a little New Year's Day fun. Simon got a Target giftcard from his Great Grandma W and I thought letting him pick out a new toy would be a nice way to start the new year. He agreed.

The toys quickly found a home in his town.

He is very excited about the toys and ready to give Great Grandma a big thank you hug. He slept with them at nap time and took two of them in the bath tonight for a car wash. 

And Gretzky was wrapped up in all this celebration as well.

I hope your holiday was also filled with family, food, laughter, screaming, nachos, tantrums, presents, cookie bribing, holiday movies and champagne. Because apparently that's what holidays with children are all about.