Santa came to North Carolina by way of Manhattan

Even though we didn't spend Christmas in Manhattan this year, that is where Little Cashew's presents came from...Manhattan Toy that is. Now I am typically a bargain shopper and I don't believe in paying retail for anything. For example Gymboree...I love you, and 90% of what my daughter wears has your label on it, but I only shop your sales and with coupons. (I did buy one outfit not on sale in a moment of weakness and cuteness overload...but there is always one exception to the rule)

Walnut and I did not go overboard buying presents for Little Cashew for Christmas...we bought 5...well I bought 5 and used Walnuts credit card. But those 5 gifts cost a pretty penny because, like a sucker, I paid retail. And I paid retail at a nice store. But I will say Little Cashew does love her 12 and 13 dollar toys thus far. (and yes I also caved around Thanksgiving and bought her a Sophie. The Winkel and the Whoozit are her favorites thus far. I like the classic beads, but she is still at that stage where she thrusts all of her toys at her face, and I am afraid she is going to give her pretty little face a black eye with these things, so we play carefully.

But I think my favorite toy to watch her play with is her Winkel, she loves to slobber and chew on it. And the fact that she looks hilarious doing it is an added bonus. When she really gets going, it almost looks like a horse bit in her mouth. And sometimes it looks like she is going for the inner rings, but her mouth cant reach them, so she just pushes it up to her face, and it's so so cute.

I know she didn't really know what was going on this year, but it did make me excited for all of the Christmas's and Christmas Eve's to come...figuring out what traditions to continue from my childhood and Walnut's childhood, and what traditions we will make for ourselves. I cant wait to tuck her in all excited on Christmas eve after leaving out cookies for Santa and seeing the look on her face on Christmas morning when she sees the magic of Santa. Squee! So excited...but alas at the same time, that means she needs to grow up, and I have made it a point to resist all of her growing up efforts at any cost! I love my little munchkin (who I can't believe turned 4 months old today!!) and I just want to hold on to her cute little infant self as much as possible for as long as possible...sigh!

I have been admittedly lazy with Christmas the last few years. We are usually out of town with family, and if it was a year when we spent Christmas here at the nut house it probably meant that I was on a rotation or in school, so I was likely on call at the hospital at some point or studying for exams, and it just makes it hard to get all Christmas-y. We have so many cute little ornaments and a good number of decorations, but I swear, it's exhausting to get all of that stuff out and then have to put it away again so quickly. Perhaps this is why some people go nuts with their decorations right after Thanksgiving...this way at least you can leave the decorations up for a while.