Christmas time is craz-i-ness around here. With Robyn's birthday thrown into the mix it makes for non-stop parties and the food that goes with it. As the mom in the family it sometimes feels like the only thing we are really celebrating at any holiday is the food. Think about it, every holiday has it's own food culture surrounding it. To top it off it is all the kind of food we eat the most of but shouldn't. I love to cook for people. I love to have some one I have been feeding push themselves away from the table and say, "I want to keep eating, but I just can't swallow another bite!" Oh-Yah! No one should go hungry at my house. Ever.
I love everything about Christmas time but I am wiped out by the time it is Christmas night. I think I finally can catch my breath about New Years and just in time to make more party food!
We were so busy I didn't get the camera out. (Lame, I know)
Brett and Robyn were here for a couple of days. Brett was a good sport about doing different things for the holiday. Most people do basically the same stuff but he went right along with some of our quirks.
Years ago I found this book at the library.
It is a sweet story about a little boy and his family decorating a Christmas tree for the animals on Christmas eve. When I read it I knew it was something we had to do. We have done it every year since then. The children spend the day preparing edible ornaments with birdseed, licorice, cheerios and peanut butter. We get the table set and get dinner ready and set on warm. Then we bundle up and head out. We drive out to the start of a short trail and hike to our tree. We have decorated the same tree for several years now, and it is fun to see how much it has grown over the years. Everyone decorates the tree and we take turns picking a carol to sing. It is a great time to get away from the lights and the noise and find the peace and spirit of the holiday. Sometimes we take the sleds and stay out for a long time and sometimes it goes really fast.
The house smells sooo good when we finally come home. Dinner is ready and we sit down to enjoy the meal together. The meal usually takes a while because memories are always shared. This is our quiet, more spiritual night. John reads to us the Christmas story from Luke. When the kids were little it was easy to put them bed right after but now they are older and it doesn't work that way any more.
Brett tried all day to find "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". (Jim Carey) He was a bit bummed but then after dinner we all went downstairs and turned on the TV. It was just starting.
I think he may have squealed like a little girl! I was glad we found something he enjoyed from his childhood.
Christmas morning is the time for Santa and sharing gifts with each other. The kids hold a sibling drawing a few months in advance and then make something for the sibling they have. Some are harder to make gifts for than others but they always come up with something very fitting.
Robyn' s birthday begins at 5:00pm sharp. All the Christmas toys are put away and it is always about her. This is the 3rd party in less than 24 hours. It's gets a little tough sometimes but we try hard to make sure her birthday isn't overlooked.
I don't want to bore you with pictures of our decorations but I thought the winter town was hilarious. Look carefully.
See it now?
It took me a few days to notice the car in the scene and a couple days more to notice the set up! Cole is always doing something like this. It started when he was about three and I gave him some Ant stickers. He set them out in a line around the kitchen cabinet. I thought they were real and sort-a freaked out. Ever since then he takes it as a personal challenge to "get" me in some way or another.
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