These days...

I randomly posted these pictures as ones to highlight.   The first one is Mary's Star Path.  The children continue to like it, although next year I think I will have them do it in the morning after breakfast, because right now they are tired and squabbling over who is going to blow out the candle (which neither of them can really do--it takes forever, with me trying to move the candle to find where the heck their breath is coming from--do other kids have this problem?). But some nights it is terribly sweet, with David or Elsa holding the candle and saying a long, rambling blessing/gratitude with great solemnity before blowing the candle out.  Next time it happens, I need to make a point immediately after to write down what they say, because usually it goes into the hecticity of bedtime, and I think the slightly disorganized nature of their prayers makes them harder to remember. 

I had bigger plans for the ending scene.  I would have liked to have added more animals, and also some shepherds, but I am petering out.  And I have to remember that I have lots of years to add to it.  So, next year I can make some more sheep and maybe even attempt an ox...and shepherds.  Baby Jesus is made and waiting on the craft shelf for Christmas Eve.  We have been singing/listening to the song "Maria Wandered Through the Wood,"  while we do it, which is melancholy and appropriate and I think sets the tone well. 

Jesse took the next one of Elsa and David looking at the funny papers together, which is a nice reminder that more often than not, our children do get along.  They are so lucky to have eachother, and when they are not throwing things at eachother or shoving eachother to get the bigger portion of my lap.

Elsa and I went crazy the other day painting a bunch of glass things blue.  I mixed some water color paint with water and Modge Podge and then we painted them all different colors.  I have no idea what to do with the glass, though, as it totally will wash off.  Maybe they can be spare gifts in case anyone "attacks" with a present.  Really, it was just random craftiness, that made yet another big mess to clean up.  But we had fun.
Elsa and Jesse went to the Nutcracker last night.  It started at 7:30, which was a bit late for a five year old, but I really wanted her to see a good production--my mother always took us to the one in Boston after Christmas, which was lots of fun, and it was quite good.  But that is not an option here-Asheville is a great city, but it is certainly small.  I took her to one two years ago, which was kind of disappointing--the tree didn't grow, and there wasn't an orchestra, and I just wanted her to see a good one.  They had a really good time--they got dressed up and went out to dinner, and it was really sweet.  She got home at 10:30--I was sure that she would be asleep in the car, but she still needed stories and snuggle time with Mama.  Today we kept things very, very low key.  David and I stayed home--he went to bed at about 6:30, having missed his nap, and I made caramels.  Oh, and notice especially the twine all around the Christmas tree.  Thusfar, it has capsized twice.  Both times I was sitting on the living room sofa, and just watched it come down.  (Different from two years ago, when I was in the kitchen and David started to pull it down, and I got there before it fell.  Something about small children does make your reaction time a smidge quicker.)  The second time I cried, which was upsetting for the children.

And the last picture is of a Pileated Woodpecker.  David came running in to tell us that there was a woodpecker on the oak tree outside our kitchen.  And there it was.  We all three of us stood and watched if for a good long time.  Elsa suggested I take a picture, which, to be frank, would never have occurred to me.  I am in general not a picture taker--this blog has been good for me that way. It did seem really special to me that he noticed it and knew what it was.  These children--watching them grow and develop is a such a joy to me.

Oh, and the kids are out of school, which is such a sweet delight to me.