Now we’re in the post-holiday relaxation, but the last few weeks have been busy with holiday preparation.  Clare is old enough to start to get Christmas and it’s been fun to introduce her to age-appropriate activities and traditions. 

 

 

For starters we had to decorate, from tree to stockings to lights we had to bring some Christmas spirit into the house.  The kids thought decorating was great fun, and were especially… helpful.  This year I bought a couple of tiny fake trees from the neighbors’ garage sale and put them in the kids’ rooms.  Clare told  me that she wanted to decorate them with red ribbon, so she did. 

 

 

 

Then, of course, there was our annual Tree Trek.  The weather conspired against our usual tree farm visit.  On the day we were planning on getting our tree J looked out the window at the torrential downpour and howling winds and said “Yeah, I’m not cutting down a Christmas tree in that.” 

 



 

Fortunately a little research showed us that a local holly farm also sold Christmas trees.  It was high enough that the torrential rain turned to photogenic snow, and we were able to pick out our Christmas tree and then huddle around the fire in this cute little store.  

 

 

The finished tree was not without drama, as it almost fell over while I was decorating it.  It’s been a bit of decoration in progress with the two little elves in our house like to move the ornaments around.  

 

 

I come home to find piles like these, ornaments that used to be on the tree.  I tried to put non-breakable ornaments that these on the bottom half of the tree, and ultimately our tree has ended up being very full of ornaments on the top and pretty… empty on the bottom.  

 

 

 

Fortunately our tree worked just find to keep presents under – like this fun package from Oma and Papa.