violet's first tree

kevin, while neither a scrooge nor a buddy the elf in his feelings about christmas, makes a lot of concessions with respect for my tendencies toward the latter ("SAAANTAAA!!! i know him! i KNOW him!"). he's been to the grove more than once since thanksgiving, and every morning this week, i've come out of the bathroom to hear "violet's" holiday playlist emanating from her bedroom, where daddy-daughter time is going on. but with two crazy dogs and a toddler, all of whom share a culinary predilection for glitter ornaments, kevin argued persuasively against a christmas tree this year. i cried (and cried) and then accepted that this year's pine tree smell would have to be chemical.

and then violet's cousin reese sent a purple tinsel tree! hallelujah! my mom and sister had already given violet an elmo and a green mn'm ornament (respectively -- my mom didn't think it was appropriate for the "sexy" green lady to come from nana), and reese sent several others, including the prized sock monkey. violet trims (and un-trims) her first tree every night.





given this new nightly event, she didn't quite understand why she wasn't allowed to un-trim the biggest christmas tree in los angeles last saturday.



but she was nonetheless happy that nana let her break the grove's rules and at least touch the ornaments. i love you, nana!





sometimes i love you so much, it hurts.



hey, look! a penguin! whaaa? PENGUIN!!!



i love you, penguin.



nana blamed the influence of sexy mn'm.

and apparently violet secretly mailed her letter to santa already because her first piece of mail arrived this week.



"munchie, you could have just told us you needed a vacation," i said.

"i'm going to eat all the cheese i want," violet sighed. "i hope they have itsy bitsy spider on the karaoke machine. penguin and i are going to kick ass on the shuffleboard court."