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The holidays were a lot of fun with Felix. He really got into them this year. Each day he couldn't wait to open his advent calendar(s). One of his best friends, April, is Icelandic, so in our holiday traditions this year we included the 13 naughty little Icelandic Santas that come each day before Xmas Eve. These Jule Lads included such names as Door Slammer and Bowl Licker. It was really quite fun to explore a new cultural tradition and I think we'll keep it up. Felix enjoyed checking his boot each morning to see if one of them had left him a treat. (The only day he actually deserved a rotten potato, as is the tradition, was on Xmas Eve, and I just didn't have the heart to do it.)

His first gift of the holidays was a pair of Transformer shoes from his big sister Natalie. This was the year of the Transformers and the only thing he told Santa he wanted was an Optimus Prime. When Santa asked Felix if he might want some trucks or trains, Felix said, "No, just an Optimus Prime Transformer." Then on Xmas Eve his Aunt Susie gave him an Optimus Prime and a Megatron so he figured everything else was just extra from that point forward. Christmas morning he opened a large Optimus Prime from Santa, wrapped in Transformer wrapping paper even, and exclaimed, "I got two transformers for Christmas!" Well, when all was said and done he had 7 transformers and mom and dad are becoming experts at transforming these sometimes too complicated machines, repairing torn off legs, and sometimes exclaiming, "He wants to stay a car right now." His last gift was a transformer lunch pail from his big sister Megan.

We spent Boxing Day (the day after Xmas) at my moms house and opened presents there, including, you guessed it, transformers. Mom hadn't even intended to give him some licensed transformers at first, she got him a Handy Manny truck that transforms into a workbench, but when he happened to catch her showing me the back up gift Bumblebee action figure hidden behind her back, she caved instantly. Now came the 27th and Felix woke and went to the calendar and his boot looking for what he might get next. Sadly, he cried like any middle class American boy, "there are no more presents for me to open"...he is now focused on his birthday in March.