Ready for Christmas

The stockings are hung, or rather on the floor by the tree, and all that jazz.

A lot of people pull out the tree the day after Thanksgiving and take it down the 26th of December, but we are more the trickle in, trickle out type. Sometime early in December, Mike put up the beautiful nativity painting he bought me the Christmas after Maggie was born. A couple other decorations made their way up from the basement (the girls dug some of them out). And most of our traditions were fulfilled.

A beautiful nativity display started to get us in the Christmas spirit the first weekend in December. We've gone the past few years and this year, like in times past, the church building where it was held was decorated beautifully with white lights and yards of white fabric and ribbons. There were tons of different nativities and creches and a live nativity as well. And the music was gorgeous. It was the first time we were able to get there for the concert. I hope next year the girls and I can make time to participate.

The next weekend was Kate's birthday and our church Christmas party. It was called "A Night in Bethlehem" and they set up the cultural hall to look like a marketplace with tents and youth pretending to be vendors. You had to pay your "tax" (canned goods for a local food pantry) and then you could enter the gym by crossing little bridge. You then had to grab a woven or wooden tray and begin collecting food for your family from the different "vendors." There was roasted turkey, cheese cubes, olives, cut fruit and veggies, quick breads, and rolls. Then you took your simple fare and found a place to spread your picnic blanket and ate as families. The kids loved that everyone was eating with their hands. Emily, especially, was in heaven. All the food was already on the floor, so there was no need to drop it off her highchair before digging in. And best of all, she could eat off anyone's plate she wanted. She would grab handfuls of food and stuff her mouth, then sit back against Mike like a big fat man before going for her next mouthful. It was hilarious. Sure, there was some spilled water (Maggie kicked over at least two cups), but it was worth it. The kids really had fun. And we got to watch a lovely slideshow of the Primary children acting out the nativity. Jen Fields, who is in our ward, put that together.

The third weekend in December, we finally went and picked out our tree from the boy scouts at the  neighborhood farm store parking lot. We love picking out our live tree and love that our tradition is so easy to maintain. It takes us about fifteen minutes.

And this past weekend, we got to carol again with good friends and enjoy a family Christmas music party. The girls performed "Picture a Christmas" for their cousins, while their dad accompanied. Nothing better than Christmas carols with friends and family in my book.

Last year, we made a Christmas countdown calendar (Hello Kitty style) with different, but simple, Christmas-y things to do all month long. This year, we were even more low-key about it, but we still tried to do a little something most days. Besides those mentioned above, we made gingerbread houses (easy-style, because my sweet neighbor gave me a kit...I only missed making the gingerbread a little). We cut a few snowflakes. We made treats for friends and Mike's co-workers. (I think these nuts are the best because they are super easy and make the house smell lovely, though I do half almonds, half pecans.) We sang Christmas songs. We wrote Christmas cards. We watched Christmas movies and read Christmas stories. (But not The Gift of the Magi. It makes me cry too much. I reject the idea that Christmas songs and stories need to make you cry. Like, I don't even think it should be legal to play that Christmas shoes song on the radio. It's probably caused accidents.) And each day we put a little ornament on an advent calendar Mike's Grandma Kay made.

We even had a little snow Thursday, though most of it's gone now. The girls loved it though. Kate was relentless until she was out in it. I think she and Maggie were outside that morning at 7:30, which is minutes after they awakened.


Maggie has been wrapping random objects around the house and having us open them the past week. I think there are still a couple of her offerings under the tree. And Emily has been inspired by Handel's Alleluia chorus and started singing along last night. But the sweetest thing

Before bed, we watched Joy to the World, as we do every year, and opened our pajamas and Mike's sibling gift. (The kids loved the handwarmers Sabrina made and the cotton candy and puppets from Kathy and fam.) But the sweetest part was the kids playing Mary all month. Especially Maggie.

And now, it's 6:30 and I am expecting little kiddos to wake within the hour. They went to bed easily and slept really well, surprising, considering their excitement level.

Yep, I think we are ready for Christmas. I better get the wassail on. But before I do, a query: Is anyone else's Christmas Eve tradition cleaning? It seems a pretty steady one around here.