over and around us: 'Tis the Season

We are fully ensconsed in our December activities.

Putting up the decorations, listening to The Messiah in it's entirety with some dear, dear friends one evening, enjoying the lights, sending and receiving cards, Secret Santa (the kids and their friends saved up money and are buying goodies for a needy family in our neighborhood---all anonymously, of course!), making and making presents and decorations, cocoa and the Polar Express, picking out a gift from The Heifer Catalogue, playing lots of Christmas music, finishing up last-minute shopping, going to (and playing in some) concerts and more concerts, singing Chistmas songs, opening our holiday books---one every night, a visit from our elf, Shirley, who makes mischief while we sleep---oh, she loves to read our McDuff books and play the cello!, White Elephant exchanges (known where I'm from as a Yankee Swap), a visit from St. Nicholas on December 6th--they leave out their shoes, baking, parties (one was The Annual Patsy's Pizza Party! Pizza all the way from NYC, woohoo!), etc. galore. It is a busy and exhausting and fun and magical time of year. Especially since all the magic of Christmas is alive and well in our house, still!

One of my favorite seasons!