Fa la la la

Being the weekend following Thanksgiving, it is, as family tradition would have it, time to start pulling out all the Christmas decorations. I started with the intent of putting up one or two things and it's ended up with most everything in our collection short of the tree itself.

Logan was all about Christmas a year ago, but being merely 2 at the time, he's been unable to retain memory of most of it. He's still arguing with me, hours later, about whether or it was him that made the little clothes pin reindeer last year. (He says no, by the way. He's wrong.)

I always loved decorating as a kid and that's not something I've outgrown. I love decking the halls and that goes with it. This year, with a three year old under foot to help, I've enjoyed it even more if for no other reason his questions and interest are humoring me.

Having said three year old AND a one year old around, however, have also caused me to utter phrases I never thought I'd hear myself say. For example, when pulling out the Little People nativity set this afternoon, I had to break up a sibling battle that included me saying rather loudly, "Logan! You have to share the Baby Jesus! Baby Jesus is for everyone!"

Decorating has also meant taking risk. I opted to go ahead and put out the breakable (what am I thinking?!) nativity set this season. It sits up on our bay window shelf that Megan can't reach...but Logan can. I decided he's old enough and has enough maturity/self-control to not torment the breakables if told to leave it alone. I let him hold the small set of people in his palm hoping that if it wasn't totally off limits it'd loose any attraction. He stared at it, studying it carefully. Running a little finger over the figures as he cupped it gently in the other hand. I asked him if he knew who those people were. He nodded.

"Mary," he said tapping the kneeling woman on the head. I nodded yes.

"Baby Jesus," he said as he stroked the infant laying in hay. Yes, yes, I nodded.

"And Moses," he finished up as he poked at Joseph.

Hmmm, well at least I know he's being paying attention to this autumn's lessons in Sunday School, sort of.