Assembly Required and Other Christmas Favorites

This here is the Melissa & Doug easel from Pop and Chris. It came in a flat box with many pages of assembly instructions. Zach had to work late that night. That means it was up to me to handle the assembly. This wouldn't be a big deal for a normal person but I am technically challenged in this regard. I take things too literally or something and for this reason I am never able to get past step II of any giving assembly instructions. I sit there yelling about what kind of idiot wrote these directions and how they need to be edited.

Well I am happy, downright proud, to announce that I put that thing together myself in about an hour. Much to Jacob's pleasure, it has not fallen down yet. Here he is at play with it. Writing his name backwards. Now all I have to do is get Zach to stop saying easel with a soft S sound. Eazzzel! Zzzz, zzz, ZZZ! I yell at him.

Here's Jacob with some of our Christmas creations. We made a shit ton of the cinnamon-y ornaments and photo magnets. Everyone got one of those a top their presents this year.

Right after opening the easel, Jacob seemed more interested in the styrofoam that came packed around it than the pieces that would eventually become his easel. He disappeared into another room and was a little too quiet for some time before I realized that meant Danger.

Mmm...fun times with the shredded styrofoam. Fun for me cleaning it up (still) three days later.

And what would Christmas be without a good box experience? Jacob fit perfectly in here with just a bit if feet sticking out. Later a face and arm holes were created. Despite the overwhelming amount of presents from Nana, this was clearly his favorite 'gift' from that branch of family. So remember that for next year; just dig out a big box from the dumpster, maybe some duct tape too, and save yourself the trouble of shopping. Just give us the cash you would have spent on his gifts and we'll put it in his 529 for college.