simple season

We took the kids to see Santa last night, and I'm not sure what I expected.  

Henry was beyond terrified last year, and Nelle was less than a week old so girlfriend was happy to be held and snooze/poop away. 

(Yes, her first blowout was at our Santa visit, albeit not on Santa.  That probably automatically lands you on the naughty list for a while I'd think.)

We went straight to the Santa line in case it held a wait for us, but thankfully it was just a couple of minutes.  

Enough time for me to pep talk Henry up sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what he wanted for Christmas this year.

"Trucks and toys."

Duh.

Well, no one cried, but no one was particuarly excited either.

Until, we walked around the rest of Botanica for Illuminations.  

Oh my gosh, watching all the lights coordinated with the music through Henry's lit up face was just what I needed this holiday season.  

Not that we don't have soooo much to be thankful for and we are so graciously excited about celebrating the reason for the season, even if our advent calendar only lasted three days until Henry started pulling all the little pieces out, trying to steal the baby Jesus and maybe we lost a wise man for a bit.  

It's just been a particularly busy, exhausting, trying work/parenting season, and we. are. pooped.

So, we haven't crafted anything with my kids' feet or handprints on it.  Nor do we plan to.

And I think we'll make one kind of Christmas cookie, instead of a platter full of choices.

And tonight, I'll sit by the fire, watch Home Alone and wrap presents 

and hope Henry doesn't unwrap them like he did the one lone gift I had actually placed under the tree earlier this year.

As we walked through a twinkling winter wonderland last night, 

Henry's face was the perfect reminder that the beauty and magic of this season are simple. 

 

He would have watched the trains for an hour.  Which is kind of great because I think some choo choo and train tracks might be in our future. 

And a $1 hot cocoa can go a long way in making a little boy happy.

And sticky.  Of course the sticky.

Savoring this view and the rest of the simple Christmas season.