I'm Noticing a Theme Here

After our great family get-together in Millers Creek, and a too-short visit with Lucas Church and family (who also live there... it's a small small world indeed), we headed to Huntersville to celebrate Christmas with mom and that side of the family. And to have my roots done, and get Nathan a much-needed mullet trim. But mostly to celebrate Christmas. (With fabulous new hair highlights.)

Brad and Nikki say 'Merry Christmas' from St. Croix!

Once again it was strange without "baby" Brad around. Even stranger that he sent a stack of Christmas presents home with mom (who spent Christmas with him in St. Croix). And even stranger that they were wrapped. In actual wrapping paper. (I'm convinced mom secretly did it.) In past years he's been famous for "wrapping" Christmas presents in brown paper bags which might or might not have been stapled shut. (Remember how my dad is a bow nazi? Yeah I'm pretty sure the brown bag thing drove him nuts.) Or maybe he only did that once, and Ashley and I decided to make it Bumgarner family legend by retelling the story every year. Yep, that sounds more likely. Anyhow, enough about Brad, he wasn't even there (but thanks for the presents and we really did miss you!)....

Know what was there?

A harmonica. And a tambourine. And a triangle. And a handle castanet. And a kazoo.

Anyone else noticing a theme here?

If we add this to the drum Nathan got this weekend, the singing drum and rolling electric piano he got earlier in December, the spanish maracas he got for his birthday, the recorder in his Easter basket, and the tiger xylophone/piano Mark desperately wanted him to have when he first showed interest in musical toys (did I forget any?).... then we would have a full orchestra, I'm pretty sure. Can Nathan be a one-man band like Bert from Mary Poppins?

Now he just needs a trombone and some organ lessons to round out the holidays. (Grandparents, I am very much kidding.)

It's a good thing Nathan really, really likes musical toys. (He got it honest, after all.) He takes such pride in picking up an instrument and seeing what sounds he can make. Sometimes he can hardly play for giggling when he does it right. He truly is making a joyful noise every time he plays with these things (yes, even the drum is joyful). As a parent, it's amazing to see his face shining with so much pleasure as he figures out and then masters these little instruments. I guess these are all the same reasons Mark and I liked music as kids (and still do!)... It encourages creativity, and instills confidence. Plus, it's loud. (Trying to think like a toddler here.)

And don't worry, he did get stuff besides instruments. Like a great (silent!) puzzle from Ashley, and some monkey slippers for his monkey feet (I have monkey slippers too!) and some mandarin oranges with their own spoon (my mom has a fetish about providing snack foods complete with utensils... don't ask).

When we got home we split his current toys into three batches, which we can rotate out every few weeks so the stuff stays new and stimulating. One doesn't need to be the whole orchestra every time, after all. (Don't worry, there are shaking toys and blowing toys and banging toys in every batch; the band geek in me "orchestrated" that very carefully.)

Anyway we had a great time with mom and my grandpa, and my sister and her beau, John. And mom's trainer Michael was also there with his wife and sister-in-law... we claim ourselves as their American family, especially around the holidays. Nice to have Germans around, for me anyway. Makes me a little Germany-nostalgic, but in a good way.

And thus ends our holiday celebrations. I love my joyful, loud, chaotic family. :)

For more pictures of Christmas at my mom's, click here.