Christmas is coming!

Only took 6 tries!

When you're 2 and 4, there's certainly nothing much more fun than Christmas in your near future. Elise has equated the season with "TREATS!" and Kalina has equated it with Rudolph. And they both frequently ascertain that guests, are, indeed coming to help celebrate.

While we wait both for the birth of Jesus and the arrival of such heroes as Grandma and Uncle Tom, we've been passing the time with plenty of seasonal delights.

The perfect tree! After we
cut about a foot off the
bottom. But now it's
perfect!

We kicked off our advent with the purchase of a Christmas tree. The girls patiently helped us pick out the most perfect white pine at the farmer's market (out of about eight, total, but it took a lot of deliberating!). We then decorated our house inside and out. Elise was more excited about Christmas lights than anything else, but Kalina was a real helper this year ornamenting the Christmas tree. While it's still a good thing that most of our ornaments are unbreakable, she very delicately found nice spots for quite a few ornaments while her sister enthusiastically "helped," too.

So excited were we about our, and the neighbors', Christmas lights that we headed out to search for more. I'm not sure I've seen Elise more ecstatic. "I SEE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! LOOK, KALINA! LOOK DADDY! DID YOU SEE THE LIGHTS, DADDY?" Behold the wonder of Christmas. In fact, we had so much fun we went out a couple times.

The magic of Christmas.

We've been equally enthusiastic about all the Christmas baking and making. Christmas cookies, with its trifecta of challenges--the mixing, the cutting and the decorating--were a huge success, both in the amount of fun they were to make and in the enjoyment afterward. I will say that they nearly baked Mommy's nerves, though. A grabby 2-year-old wielding a rolling pin is not, in fact, conducive to producing recognizable cookies, let along pieces larger than 1 inch. Is it possibly for a mommy to be cranky and jolly at the same time? I did my best. The cookies survived the ordeal, however, and were decorated rather charmingly. We also made fudge and, after a weeklong hiatus due to illness, white-chocolate-covered pretzels. We've ramped up the crafts in a big way, too, as a way to keep little hands busy while stuck at home with colds (and in lieu of baking, so as not to get anyone else sick).

I like the juxtaposition of Elise's
intensity with Kalina's goofiness!

Like last year, Kalina attended the Nutcracker! Unlike last year, Mommy got to come too! We dressed alike to celebrate the occasion. Kalina was quiet, but entranced, and seemed to appreciate my whispered explanations of, "That's the nutcracker!" and, "Those are the candy cane dancers!" She returned home with an even bigger desire to take ballet lessons.

The biggest surprise of the holiday was the enthusiasm that the idea of visiting Santa was met with. For the first time in our history, we actually approached jolly old St. Nick instead of waving (or hiding) in the background. Fortunately, based on the general optimism, I was prepared. The girls were (very happily, I might add) decked out in Christmas dresses, and on the way we discussed such questions as, "Where will Santa's sleigh be?", "What do you want for Christmas?" and, from Elise, "What do Christmas lights like to do?"

As yummy as they were
pretty!

Santa has been quite the celebrity this year at our house, and he certainly lived up to his reputation. I expected a rushed, "What do you want for Christmas? Have you been good? Now smile for the picture!" but instead, we discussed the particular snacks Santa would like as he makes his run (Oatmeal raisin cookies, plus three carrots for the reindeer! And a glass of milk since he'll be at our house early on, whereas in the later hours he takes coffee!), and Mitch, his head elf, who will check inventory for the girls' wishes of two pink kittens and a purple Christmas tree (guess which is which!). He truly is a jolly old elf.

We did buy the pictures. Every kid needs a picture of themselves with Santa, preferably not in tears. Elise, unfortunately, forgot to ask her question (and Mommy had no idea it would be important!), so we may have to write an addendum to her letter to Santa.

Sprinkles are the best
things ever.

Which she received a reply from yesterday in the mail, as did Kalina! Much to the girls' delight, "Santa" wrote about his pets, and the myriad stocking stuffers he has ready for them.

Ready for the Nutcracker!

The girls have also been taking much delight in playing Santa (or elves) themselves, although both have started to realize that if you give something away, you don't have it any more. Nevertheless, the Christmas spirit has prevailed, and, as Kalina herself put it, we're excited to let other people "open some joy" this Christmas.

Kalina can tell you the Christmas story, 4-year-old style, and even Elise knows that the baby in question is Jesus. The nativity scene is often a matter of great debate--not so much about whether or not the wise men would've actually visited Jesus in the stable (not likely!), but about who gets which cat, and whether the dog can come into the crib or not.

Smiling with Santa

And finally, here's our Top Ten list of Christmas songs:
1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. Jingle Bells
3. Frosty the Snowman
4. Up on the Housetop
5. The "Missing Toe" song. Post a comment if you think you can guess what we mean!

If you look carefully, you can see
where Kalina wrote HOHOHO! All
her own idea and talent!

As we were preparing the room
 for guests, the girls
decided to have a sleepover on
the guest bed. Two steps forward,
one step back.