Holiday Mornings

This week has been sprinkled with Christmas activities. Sunday was filled with Christmas lessons and Sunday School nativity re-enactments. Monday morning we made a mountain of paper snowflakes while listening to Christmas music. That night we attended a Christmas party, thrown by one of our homeschool groups, complete with crafts, food, cookie decorating, games, The Grinch, and hot cocoa. Tuesday we had an all day baking day with friends. The end result was 5 containers filled with goodies, ready to go to friends and neighbors, and still more left over for us to munch on.
This morning there’s been a Christmas movie and, thanks to Taproot, a paper doll farm family helped fuel imaginations. Chocolate covered hands walked little paper animals to and fro as the mama (complete with baby in sling), papa (who even took turns carrying said slinged baby), and sister tended them. Little voices changed pitch as each character spoke.





Meanwhile, scissors were snipping away as Kassy prepared a shoe pattern for sewing. Maya’s Christmas present is in the works! That girl of mine can do anything she puts her mind to. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

Milk is heating on the stove as the beginning of a batch of yogurt is in the works. It’s my second batch, actually. The first was lost when I neglected it to capture everything else that was going on around here. The temperature got a little too high. I’m thinking of trying to concoct a cherry apple flavor for this batch. We’ll see how that turns out.

In the mean time, I’m loving these mornings full of imagination, relaxation, and the holiday spirit.

Tonight at Our House

Tonight at our house…
A warm fire blazed in the fireplace.
Christmas cards were created and ordered.
Brief contact was made with several old friends and family as I searched out new addresses for our impending cards, each one feeling like a refreshing visit.
“Elf, the Broadway Musical” soundtrack made its household debut in the background.
Games of Checkers and Candy Land were played on the rug, even by the oldest.
A chalkboard Christmas collage was drawn and even Mama enjoyed getting in on the fun and ending up with colorful, chalky hands.
Homemade sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting were created by our in-house baker, Bella.
Pink gingerbread boys and girls, Christmas trees, and candy canes were decorated.
Sprinkles were sprinkled and eaten by the jar full. Luckily, it was only half of our stash.
Mom was shocked when all children asked if they could just save the second cookie for tomorrow.
Top secret gift plans were made.
Messes were cleaned up by all. Many messes.
Scriptures were read.
Stories were read by big sister, Bella, to little sisters.
Bed time protests were acknowledged and then ignored.
Payers were said, lotion put on dry skin, kisses and hugs given.
One child got tucked in several times.
Two, giggling oldest sisters raced down the stairs to see who could get the bathroom first, lending their elephant-like tromping to the silence that was falling on the rest of the house.
Mom and Dad listened with a smile to figure out who won.
True silence finally fell, and a proud, and very tired mama, relaxed as she could only at this time of day, and reminisced on what a blessed scene her house had been that evening.