Hanukkah lasts 8 days. I feel like Christmas lasts 30. Don't get me wrong, I love "the season" but it takes considerable effort to 1) keep the focus where it should be, and 2) keep the rest of our life and house in order while enjoying all the extras.
Here is a glimpse into some of our pre-Christmas activities...
Decorating the tree. Owen liked to put his ornaments all in a little clump towards the bottom. Rebecca likes all of hers up high - which required help. She's the same with our little Advent tree. We have this little (fake) tree and a set of 25 books/ornaments that tell the Christmas story. Each night we read one and hang it on the little tree in their room - and she always wants to put her book on the top branch. Owen has to remind her each night that he wants to save that branch for "baby Jesus".
Our ornament this year. I have three of these - all a little different - one for each of the years we've grown as a family.
A shout-out to pinterest.com. Here is one of the pinterest-inspired projects we actually did. Owen's handprints are the light green, Rebecca's are the dark green and the star on top is made from Maggie's feet!
Our Advent series at church has been amazing! Perhaps the best sermons leading up to Christmas I've ever heard. Matt has used a collection of Puritan Prayers called "The Valley of Vision" as a key text. Here is Rebecca having some quiet time...
Another pinterest idea. I'm into glass etching (thanks to my silhouette - now making a stencil is easy)! I've etched wine glasses, these cute little trifle dishes, and a few other things (that I can't mention because the recipients haven't opened them yet). So fun!!! (I'm also into chalk-board paint - if you stand in front of me too long, you're going to get painted.)
Rebecca wanted to help so badly. At a minimum she wanted in the picture. Cheese!
Don't you just want seconds?
On Friday Owen's preschool put on a little mini-pageant - his class sang "Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star". So sweet.
Now we're in the middle of "school break" - I'm excited to be able to have playdates with our friends who have opposite preschool schedules...and we'll need to have some, because I'm not sure what I'm going to do with everyone at home for 3 weeks!
Last weekend we went to my Uncle Don's ranch in San Saba for the McElroy family Christmas - it was good to see a bunch of my aunts/uncles/cousins on my dad's side of the family. Here are some of my cousins taking pictures of all the kids with Santa. We're such old fogies!
All the kids - Owen & Rebecca - with their second cousins.
Our three with the big jolly guy.
Maggie checking out Dahdo.
Maggie feeling Uncle Alex's scruff. Scratchy!
We still have a lot to look forward to - we are scheduled to make Christmas cookies with Bee tomorrow afternoon. We also have to make Jesus his birthday cake - although I'm thinking cupcakes this year. And of course we have 4 days of celebrations from the 23rd through the 26th.
I'll leave you with the lyrics of one of our favorite seasonal songs - at least Rebecca's interpretation of it...
Rah-ty a no-man...wa a howy jowy man. Wida corntob pipe in button no, and two eye made ow-a no...tumpitytumptump tumpitytumptump wook a roh-ty doe...tumpitytumptump tumpitytumptump o'er da hills a no!
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