A very Jonathan Christmas

Our new house is so much fun! We are able to put up a big Christmas tree and not have to sacrifice half the living room in order to do so. Chris and I went to Target one morning after dropping Jonathan off at preschool. He came home to find the tree already assembled (yes, we went fake this year) and decorated. It was a big hit. I did manage to save out a few special ornaments for him. So the tree has all glass balls on top (or plums, as Jonathan has named them) and then the last foot above the floor has all the nifty ones, like Ernie on the sled, a nutcracker, a pig and a pickle. We'll be able to monitor his growth from one year to the next by seeing how high up these particular ornaments climb. He has been extremely tempted by the candy canes, which we have told him are for when Grandpa arrives. He hasn't eaten any, but he claims for himself the right to move any that might feel lonely. One small branch is sagging under the accumulation of candy.

The Montessori method, with its "works" instead of games and emphasis on matching, is influencing our Christmas. As a surprise, Chris ordered stockings for all of us, embroidered with our names, and matching engraved holders. Jonathan showed off his letter knowledge with what he immediately declared was the "stocking work." He lines out the holders and identifies each one by the first letter of the engraving, then hangs the appropriate stocking on it. He got them all right straight out of the box, which we all thought was impressive. There's also ornament work, where he circles the tree and points out ornaments from the same set. And finally, there's present work. Our piles aren't categorized according to the names on the tags, but rather by which wrapping paper is used. "This one has a penguin and this one has a penguin! Let's put them together, Mommy."

In an attempt to educate Jonathan about Christmas traditions, I pulled a few books out of the pile as early Christmas presents. He's learned all about Santa, and he plans to stay up for him. And he's learned about Christmas carols. One of his favorite characters, Olivia the pig, sings carols with her family in his Christmas book. Olivia take the chorus of "Angels We Have Heard on High" and sings it LOUD. Jonathan has the "Gloooooooooooooooria" down, but doesn't yet have the notes in the right order. No matter. Then I am on tap for command performances of Jingle Bells and Rudolf. In a little bit of a crossover, Jonathan thinks that Rudolf refers to a character in his Richard Scarry book, one Rudolph Von Fluegel, who wears a German WW1 helmet and flies a biplane. Santa will have to fit in there somehow.