Our little family Christmas

After we visited in Mobile and Andalusia, we came back to Baton Rouge for a dinner with an old friend of mine and his family. While we were here, we also decided to have a small, intimate family Christmas - just the three of us!

We woke up on Tuesday morning and played a little ...

Then we exchanged gifts. Apparently, both Ashley and I had food on the brain. She gave me a zester/grater, and I gave her a week of her favorite meals.

This Christmas, we decided to be minimalists with respect to buying gifts. Ashley and I have never really gone "crazy" with each other (e.g., this year we set a $15 limit), and Eden is just not quite old enough to know the difference between new and slightly used presents. Moreover, she has seemed more interested in the wrapping and ribbons of presents so far than typical presents themselves.

So, Ashley bought new, shiny wrapping paper just for Eden - which we thought was a very appropriate gift for an inquisitive 9 month old. Then, Ashley wrapped up a few of Eden's toys in the new, shiny paper, with the tops slightly open so that Eden could rip her way to a grand-ole time.

As soon as we put Eden down facing the tree, she crawled her way to the wrapping paper roll, picked it up, and started twirling it around.

And I had fun using it as a trumpet ...

Then, she worked her way through ripping, tearing, and attempting to eat the other "presents." Definitely a good choice!

We did get her one brand new thing ...





She's enjoyed her "lovie" (Tilly the Tiger - thanks to the Green family!) so much that we now need a replacement when Tilly is being washed. She uses this blanket/stuffed animal when she is sleepy, rubbing it across her eyes while she falls asleep. As you may be able to tell, however, she enjoyed the bag in which Georgia the Giraffe was wrapped more than Georgia ... our choice is, thus, justified (and I say that not just to make us sound smart or to make us feel better ... I promise ...)



Interestingly, the one new gift was $10; the wrapping paper was $5. I mean, it's not that we're cheap or that we are intentionally depriving Eden (or that we even set a spending limit on her Christmas gifts); actually, we think that it's not depriving at all. She REALLY enjoyed her first family Christmas, and the wrapping proved to be a perfect gift. Once she catches on, we'll change strategies - until then, though, it's shiny paper indeed.


Hoping your Christmas was as joyful, fun, and shiny!