Christmas 2012 highlights -
Carmine taking great delight in opening his presents, and then taking great delight in attempting to open everyone else's presents, as well. In his eyes, if it was wrapped, it was fair game. Even hours after we had finished with all the presents, he was searching the living room, looking for "nuh-nuh present to open." He actually asked me to today if he could open more presents. I guess after 4 solid days of celebrating, he started to think that opening presents was something we were going to do every day now.
Gabe waking up at 4am Christmas morning, but - miracle of miracles - laying quietly in his bed reading until 5:30am!!!! He kept apologizing for waking up so early. I assured him that if he was going to just read quietly in bed, I didn't much care what time he woke up.
Dante repeatedly asking if he could have a "Russell StoveN" candy.
Carmine helping himself to many, many chocolate Santa candies. I thought I might be able to get away with having a bowl of chocolate on the dining room table. I was wrong.
Dante almost literally bouncing off the walls with excitement. He was just a blur of constant motion and noise in the final few days before Christmas. It doesn't help that his birthday is three days after Christmas. It was the Tasmanian Devil meets the Road Runner meets a sound effects machine. Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!
Carmine asking us over and over if he could watch "shiny nose," aka Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And since he's been sick with a horrible cold and cough for the past three days, and we're indulging pretty much his every whim, he's watched "shiny nose" many, many times - and has also eaten chocolate Santas with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And he may have had birthday cake for dinner last night.
Legomania - The boys got more Lego sets this year than ever - which is awesome. I love Legos! Timeless, classic, and a toy that they will always, always go back to. Also, a toy that kept them occupied for countless hours on Christmas Day. So cool to watch them follow the instructions and assemble very complex pieces all by themselves - the pride on their faces when they see the finished product is priceless.
Junior geek scientist Dante - For Christmas, he received a Dinosaur fossil kit, a rock/mineral identification kit, Magnet Science kit, a metal detector, and a Zoetrope. For his birthday, he received an electrical science kit and a microscope. And he loves them ALL!
Carmine yelling "Merry Christmas Everyone!"
Our third and final Christmas celebration wrapped up yesterday, and was a combination party, since yesterday was also Dante's 7th birthday. I always feel so badly about his birthday being just three days after Christmas - like it somehow seems less special, because it feels like it gets lost in the shuffle.
But he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. And since we had all of Scott's family here, it definitely turned into a pretty exciting birthday for him this year.
I have photo albums on Facebook for each of the boys, with one picture from all of their birthdays. I add to it every year, and I love going back and seeing the progression. It makes me melancholy, but it also makes me proud, to think about and see what sweet, handsome, amazing young men they're growing up to be.
And this year, I paused for a moment to be fully conscious and aware of how unbelievably lucky I am that this seven-year-old boy is here with us, in our lives, happy and healthy, and doing all the things a seven-year-old should be doing.
I rarely make New Year's resolutions, but this year I resolve to remember every day how incredibly fortunate we are - and not just to remember it, but to show it - to act it - to demonstrate it - to live it. Because life is too short and too unpredictable to do otherwise.
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