Christmas 2008

We had a delightful holiday week! Mom says it’s one of the most relaxing she can remember. It started Sunday as we headed to Gammi and Papa’s (notice I changed her name to “Gammi,” so mom says we’ll go with that). I ate all kinds of good things (as usual) and we went to some fun parties – at the Bradfords I played with my new friends Reece and Ava Gray. Christmas eve we went to church and mom and I joined the procession of children who brought the baby Jesus up to the manger. Then, we went to Great Gram’s house for dinner and to open our stockings and a few gifts, too. I got a “cell phone” from Great Gram and a baby doll from Gammi and Papa. To mom’s delight the baby is not Caucasian (she wants me grow up appreciating many different ethnicities!) We named him Moses and now he has a brother T-Shawn, which I named after one of Grandma Jeanne’s friend’s sons. Afterward, I entertained everyone at the Shums with my favorite yoga position – the down dog! We headed for Leavenworth Christmas morning to see Grandpa Carl & Grandma Jeanne & Uncle Alex. We all gathered around the tree to open gifts – I opened some cool new books and then ran off with them while everyone else opened their gifts. Finally, they lured me back in and I discovered all sorts of goodies – even a high chair and a cradle for my baby dolls! We watched daddy played in an alumni basketball tournament at IMAC. I wasn’t sure at first about the whistles and the buzzer and daddy being jostled around out there, but then I decided it was pretty fun to run around the bleachers and watch people. As we watched, I kept saying, “Go Daddy!” He loved having us there. In the last week, my vocabulary has exploded. I like to say, “C’mere!” and “OH MY GOSH!” “I see you!” (which I kept saying at Christmas eve mass in the cry room). I like to point at the dollar bill and say “George Washington.” I like bust out singing “Happy Birthday, Jesus” like mom taught me at Christmas. Tomorrow is my last day with Miss Peggy before I begin Lil’s Sprouts next week. Mom and Dad are praying for a smooth transition!