House without a Christmas tree

We've decided not to put up a tree this year. We have nowhere to put it as its usual spot is now home to Dylan's high chair. And the thought of constantly having to keep Dylan away from the branches, ornaments, lights and electrical plugs just sounds like more trouble than it is worth. So we are following Italian tradition where the tree takes a back seat to the presepe, or nativity scene. I don't remember ever having one myself but I found this cute one featuring the Little People, and I do remember playing with the Little People. So that's that. It'll take up a tiny spot next to our TV.


We are still suffering through separation anxiety as best we can. We ended up having to move Dylan's bed back into our bedroom because the nights were getting unbearable. He didn't want to be left alone for a second and would cry and scream in desperation. I spoke to the child development specialist at the family center where we go for Dylan's play group and she said to just be patient. That this is not a step backward but a step forward in Dylan's psychological development. We've tried really hard to keep him out of our bed, but he can be pretty insistent as you can see below. For the most part, though, he stays in his own bed, waking up frequently to make sure we are still there and then going (somewhat) quickly back to sleep.