Xmas Program -- BAH HUMBUG!

This morning was Hamslice's Holiday program at school. He was excited about it when I was getting him ready for school in the morning. He saw me putting on my Christmas sweater, and he said "Make sure you wear your Finest Diamonds too!  It was cute to see how much he was anticipating the program.

However, once the program started (and he realized he had to actually perform the program instead of watching it from my lap) things changed a bit. He started out shy, then he sang part of one song. His grand finale was a scowl that would have curdled milk, after which he climbed off the back of the risers and sat backward.

So I suppose a career on Broadway is out.

Happy Hamslice

Hamslice pre-scowl

Santa's Helpers in Fed Hill

So Saturday night seems to have been the Night of 100 Santas. As we were walking with Hamslice to dinner, we saw the scene (above) in one of the bars between here and there.

Hamslice says to me "Are those Santa's Helpers?"

I said "Of course! And they're building the Naughty and Nice list RIGHT NOW"

Hamslice says, "I'm glad I was holding your hand when they saw me. That's nice, right?"

Ah. The magic of Christmas.

Hamslice Existential @ Xmas

Here we are in the midst of the second "Hamslice knows it's Christmas" year. This time around, he's become very bothered on an existential level with the amount of deception and lying taking place to create the Christmas Spirit.

For example, we all went shopping this weekend to buy gifts for each other -- Hamslice went with Dad to shop for Mom, and vice versa. He also knew we were shopping for him.

Hamslice is a pretty honest kid, so his first inclination when the three of us rejoined, was to tell us what he bought for us. When we told him he wasn't supposed to tell us, he teared up because he knew it was lying to not tell.

Furthermore, he wanted us to make sure we bought things for him. And instead of Hambone and me being forthcoming with what we bought, we said "Wait for Santa," which Hamslice knew was another lie.

I feel genuinely bad for him with all of this goofing around. I wonder if there's another way?

Merry Hamslice Christmas

This year we took Hamslice to see Santa in the Cross Street Market, as we do every year. However this time around, Hamslice had some very specific toy requests for the old man. We figure this is how he got over his Santaphobia!

About Moms

Today is the 5-year anniversary of the passing of my Mom. It makes me think a lot about her, our family, and my new family... Hamslice is five years old this year too.

And I think if he remembers anything about me after I'm gone, I'd like it to feel like this--

To Future Hamslice, Love Mom.