MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE DIAS'S!!!! This was the year that Kayla really learned about Christmas. Last year she was introduced to the images of Christmas and would say "ho-ho-ho" when she saw a tree or a Santa hat. This year, she had a list for Santa, left cookies and carrots out, and could tell you what she got for Christmas. Between some family being out of town and visiting different friends, she got to warm up a little for the actual day. She got into passing gifts out to people and saying "Merry Christmas". Then, when she got to open a gift, her eyes got wide and she said "for me"? Then, whenever she opened a gift away from home, she would ask "I get to take this home?" It took her a little while to figure out the gifts were for her and hers to keep.

We started out December by getting the tree. This thing was huge! Our upstairs has a walkway connecting the bedrooms and you could almost put the star on top of the tree from the second story. We went to two white elephant parties. Shelley came to visit for a week - it was sooo fun to have her stay with us but then she and Kayla ended up with stomach flu two days before she was due to leave. In some ways it was nice to sit and watch movies together - but NOT a fun way for her to spend her vacation! Of course, a few day after she left, Jose and I ended up with stomach flu. Unfortunately, Jose's hit about 2 hours after finishing a huge lobster dinner at Michael's annual birthday celebration at Anthony's Fish Grotto. We were lucky to have mom take Kayla for us while we were sick but then of course, she got it a few days later. But, we were healthy by Christmas and while it slowed us down a little, we definitely enjoyed the holiday. Nikol also came to town for a few days and Jose and I got better just in time to see her for a few hours before she had to leave!

We had lots of holiday fun this year: Kayla made a gingerbread house and had a cookie making party with two girlfriends who we've met in some of the classes we are taking. Jose and I went to a white elephant party. While Shelley was in town, we went to the Wild Animal Park's Festival of Lights, had Christmas parties/gift exchanges with Kim and Kevin and then with Dad and Mary. Kayla also went to her first ballet and watched the whole thing! Shelley wanted to visit Balboa Park while she was here and so when she, mom, Kayla, and I went down there, we were just able to get in on a matinee performance of the youth ballet's nutcracker. It was a condensed version which made it perfect. She started holding her hands above her head to pretend she was a ballerina and bought her a ballerina ornament to remember it. And of course we saw the boat parade downtown during Michael's b-day dinner.

For the holiday itself, we went to the Kinney's for Christmas eve where Kirsten outdid herself with fun and food. The kids had a balloon dance, colored Christmas cookies and exchanged gifts. Then we went to church and made it home in time to put out cookies and carrots for Santa and Rudolph. Christmas morning starting with us hanging out with Kayla in bed and her singing Rudolph to us. When we got downstairs, she went straight for the gifts from Santa and started opening but we got her to open her stocking first. She opened a few gifts until she got to her pink camera and wanted to play with that right away. That gave me time to make monkey bread and breakfast casserole and for Jose and I enough time to get the turkey in the oven for Christmas dinner. Then we were able to relax into opening presents and enjoying the morning. Last year, she was done with opening when she still had about 8 gifts to open. This year, she only had one left and we got her to open it before the evening. The big hits were the ones she had asked for from Santa - the pink camera, new teapot (because hers broke -is what she always qualified that with when she said her list), and a purple pony. That night we went to my mom's for Christmas dinner with Mom, Michael, and Michael's parents.

The Monday after Christmas, Kirsten, Jack, Kayla and I took the train downtown to watch the big balloon parade and to have lunch in old town. New year's eve was at the Kinney's again where Kirsten had a pinata, balloons filled with confetti and plastic glasses to toast martinellis. All in all, it was a very full, very fun holiday season.

Kayla highlights:

- Her list started with a pink camera she saw in a toy flyer and by Christmas, if asked what her list was, would reply "I want a pink camera, new teapot (because mine broke), and purple pony" and she would pretty much say it in one breath.

- Eating the "icicles" off the gingerbread house as fast as daddy could put them on

-Memorizing the Rudolph song and she would practice it while going to sleep at night. Plus, she gave you a stern look if you started the song without "you know dasher and dancer..."

-Not wanted Santa in the house and having to leave the carrots and cookies outside

- Starting to make "I scared" faces during our photo shoot

-Dancing like a ballerina

-Running and screaming in the soap bubble snow at the wild animal park

-Being totally THRILLED to be dressed a sleeping beauty and having heels and a wand"

- "I was sick, I throw up"

- "Jack gave me a pony" (over and over for a few days after)

- Seeing her start to believe in Santa as she opened the presents on her list

- Having her pink camera with her all the time and seeing the pictures she took with it. She ended up taking a picture of almost all her presents and of spike and some of her favorite ornaments on the tree.

- Being thrilled with seeing the Big Clifford in the balloon parade

- "Cheers" with Jack on new years and only picking up the lollipops from the pinata loot.

-Our FAVORITE holiday story this year: She wasn't thrilled with the idea of Santa so I had decided early on not to force the Santa lap picture. But, we were in the mall for a Hullabaloo concert (a fantastic local kids group) and I said we could go see Santa if she wanted. She said no at first but then changed her mind. Of course, they were on break when we went over there but we hung out and then we went in to see him. She stayed in her stroller and talked to him. He asked wanted she wanted for Christmas and she quietly gave him her list and then he gave her a high five. Then he gave her a candy cane. When we left, she had a pissed off/annoyed expression on her face. I asked was was the matter and she said "he gave me a candy cane" and I said, "yes, for visiting him". K: "But I gave him my list and he gave me a candy cane" I finally realized that she could not understand why he hadn't given her the things she had asked him for. I quickly explained the asking for thing and him bringing gifts on Christmas eve and opening Christmas morning. She recovered but it was my funniest Christmas moment

The Holiday Bowl's Big Balloon Parade (after a train ride to get to the parade)