Christmastide

We decorated the house for Christmas today! I know it's a bit early, but we tend to get so busy that we don't get things festive enough soon enough and I do so want the kids to have a decent childhood, despite my domestic ineptitude. This year, if work and other time-consuming things confound us, we at least have the house decorated.

We set up the 'tree" that Lone Star Pa has had since he was a little boy and decorated it - girl-made ornaments on the front and the others on the back to keep it from falling over. I get all swoony over the ornaments the girls have made every year without fail. They are so wonderful! They make me so happy!

We hung paper chains of red and green construction paper that the Lone Star Girl and I made together years ago, as well as stockings and wreaths. We put up the Advent Calendar and put the Advent wreath on the kitchen table. We put out various small decorations and Christmas toys and the seasonal storybooks. We started reading Madeleine L'Engle's The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas. The Lone Star Baby had fun playing with Christmas toys and seeing each new thing come out.

We set up our little plastic Nativity scene, with Baby Jesus tucked away until Christmas Eve and the Magi starting their long journey way back at the end of the hall (already, they are being trailed by a pink plastic dragon). A short while back, I had bought a Playmobil Nativity set also, and we took it out and assembled it. I let the Lone Star Baby know that she could arrange it and play with it as much as she wants.

We set aside the pumpkins that were on the porch and stuck up a few old Christmas decorations in the yard. We don't have an outside outlet out front, so we don't put up lights, but we try to do our part just the same.

This was a very nice day and our hearts are as festive as our living room. I hope we can keep up the Christmas Spirit when we are back to work and back to school...which starts tomorrow...