New Traditions

The last two weeks have taught me that life changes in an instant.  Saying goodbye to one of the most influential women in my life has been the hardest thing I've had to do, ever.  The grief catches me off guard, and waves of it roll in when I least expect it.  I have written about 100 posts in my head about my sweet Grandma, but I just can't yet articulate what I'm feeling.  Time will let me do that, I'm sure, but for now, I'm trying to focus on the kids and see this holiday season through their little eyes.  Here's what we have been up to this week:
On Sunday night when we got home from Grandma's memorial service, Asher walked in from the car, very bleary eyed from falling asleep 10 minutes before we arrived home, curled up on the ottoman and went back to sleep.  This funny boy of ours:

On Monday we decorated the tree.  Asher took the job very seriously, and seemed to enjoy himself.  He also decorated the little "Charlie Brown" tree we have in the foyer.  Hannah liked the ornaments as well, and loves to walk up and point to them and talk about them.  She is now getting pretty good at 2 word phrases, mostly a word coupled with "no" but it's phrases none the less. :)

Our first official new tradition began last night.  I got the idea from good ol' Facebook, but you wrap 25 books (some new, some old) and open one each night of December, through Christmas.  Last night Asher got to choose the first book because I forgot about it until after Hannah had gone to bed :P and tonight Hannah got to choose and do the opening.  Our books so far have been Bear Stays Up for Christmas, and one about the birth of Jesus.  

Asher is trying really hard not to take over!

The second new tradition we started today.  I know most people have heard of Elf on the Shelf, but I have been waiting for 3 years to start this with Asher (and now Hannah of course).  I bought it when he was about 6 weeks old!  Oddly enough, it was something I showed Grandma on one of their visits to Jax and she was very interested in how Asher would react to it.  :)  Well, so far, he is non plussed.  It was pretty funny to watch him kind of act like "yeah big deal" to the elf.  He did have fun naming him (Seamore, after Clyde and Seamore at Sea World), and he did talk about him a few times today as he went by the kitchen table, where Seamore is hanging out, but he's not really responding to the whole "Seamore flies every night to Santa to report how you are behaving," other than to ask "how does he fly?  he doesn't have wings!"  I tried to tell him Seamore doesn't need wings, it's just magic, to which he replied "oh I guess he just needs arms."  Love how his mind works.

If you aren't familiar with Elf on the Shelf, your own personal elf makes an appearance after Thanksgiving every year to watch the kids in the house, and he/she gives nightly reports to Santa on the children's behavior.  The kids cannot touch him, or the magic will leave and he won't be able to report to Santa.  However, the kids can talk to their elf and put in requests.  After the children go to sleep every night, their elf flies to the North Pole, hangs with Santa for awhile, and then comes back home, landing in a different spot in the house.  Today Seamore made his arrival on our light fixture above the kitchen table.  We opened and read the book that Santa sent that explains everything as well. 

Fun fact: this elf looks very similar to ones my grandma has been putting up in their house for YEARS!!  Love that....

And I leave you with this funny pic of Asher....he gets jelly beans for success on the potty...check out the fun place he decided to store one of them....

Love to all...and special love and hugs to Grandpa tonight.