We need a little Christmas

There are so many FUN things to do with family at Christmas time. It makes me feel so rich to have such a perfect, sweet family to enjoy this season with me. We’re living it up:

Our Christmas tree. Ten points to whoever spots the origami Yoda on the tree.

Garland—our very first bannister to decorate. I love how homey and cozy garland is at Christmas time. I got the garland on sale a month ago, and we wrapped our own lights around it (because pre-lit garland is outrageously expensive, even at 50% off).

Remember this paper advent calendar from last year? It still works.

In each pouch of the advent calendar, I put a puzzle piece and a letter (A is for Angels, B is for Bethlehem, etc—I got it from last year’s December Friend magazine). I made a flannel board out of cardboard (surprise, surprise) and flannel for the letters. The puzzle is a picture of the manger scene. Jay wants to do the whole puzzle all at once, and he keeps sneaking pieces out of the pouches.

Stockings are my favorite way to give gifts. Jeff got us two poinsettias from a school fundraiser, and I keep forgetting to water the poor things. They are rather pale and papery.

Yesterday morning, Sunnyside High School had a cookie decorating activity. Clockwise from the top left: Jay’s, Jeff’s, mine, and Rose’s. When Rose discovered that all this colorful stuff was edible, she gave up decorating and started eating her frosting off the plastic knife.

I love this picture: Bink in a scarf.

Sunnyside’s lighted farm implements parade—we finally went this year. Jay did not like it when the giant trucks honked their horns. When we asked him what his favorite part of the parade was, he said “not the beeping.” They were LOUD.

Rose enjoyed the lights while climbing all over us.

Those cheeks!!!

Jay liked waving back at everyone in the parade.

Dog pile on Daddy

I think a horn had started honking right when I took this picture—Jay is on alert, and Rose is hamming it up. Oh, their personalities.

This may be the best family picture we’ve taken all year—everyone is smiling, even if we aren’t all looking in the same place. And to think, all I did was set the camera on auto and hold it a few feet out in front of us.

We have finished all of our Christmas gift shopping and I only have one more gift left to make, so I’m glad there are cookies, crafts, cuteness, music, and activities a-plenty to get us sufficiently Christmas-ified by the 25th.