Day abbreviated

It's a Monday, following a long, though enjoyable, weekend. We got less sleep than usual on Friday night. We got less sleep than usual on Saturday night. We went to bed a little later we should have on Sunday night. There were moments today when one or both of us (probably all of us) were looking a little glassy eyed. Days like today deserve to be abbreviated. Days like today, when they happen in winter, deserve hot chocolate, snuggly blankets, good books, nap time. We did all of the above. We also did the laundry, built with Legos, spent 20 minutes locked in a dark closet with an array of flashlights, practiced drawing trees, explored water colors, and started our own illustrated version of Robert Frost's A Prayer in Spring (wishful thinking).

A Prayer in Spring
by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.

Costume sneak peek

It's probably not a long shot to guess what he's going to be (for some reasons more than others)...

Most photography in this post is by Calvin.

Christmas day times two

Here is a second installment. We enjoyed so much Chrismtas this year that I'll have to split it into two volumes.

Christmas mornig, Santa gifts, stocking with oranges and change that hints at your age (shhh! don't tell!), and always presents enough to go around.

Everyone had a lot of help opening presents, and it was often hard to tell who was more excited, the receiver or the giver (of help, that is).

Not all wrapping jobs required opening help, or even opening at all.

Nap time. Oh joy.

Squid for snack! An odd tradition, but Curits makes a mean dish of tentacles and it's hard to pass up. This year we didn't even wait to up the presentation, we ate it straight from the stove.

Christmas dinner at the Carman's, where the younger set had us playing with bristle blocks (remember those?), cash registers, and doll houses. Christmas is about the kids, after all, even the bigger ones.

AND...we are fortunate enough to have two whole Christmas Days; Jon's family, two years in a row now, have had a second Christmas on the 26th just so that we can spread our fun out, instead of burning out. Day two of Christmas, for both years now, has been relaxing, quiet, and completely enjoyable.

Upon arrival we were treated to a reprise of Calvin and Opa's juice squeezing. Fun and delicious.

Cameras, cameras everywhere.

Calvin made gifts for everyone this year. Wine charms for the men in his life, and Christmas carolers and hand painted book bags for the women. It was a really fun process, and a huge hit come gift opening time.

Joy on Christmas is being cozy and warm with family.

I think the horse on strings was one of the favorite gifts of the day. Jon's mom found him at the Renaissance Festival in Holly and new he just had to join our family. He doesn't have a name yet, but is certain to be well loved.

In Jon's family shuffleboard is a holiday tradition. I love old traditions, especially ones that are so darn entertaining.

Our New Years trip to Harbor Springs will be next up in the series, and I'll try to get to that later today or tomorrow.

3 days: finishing touches

This Christmas has been the year of crafting at our house. With Calvin being old enough to really understand the give and take of Christmas gifts we wanted him to really get involved with the gift giving process, and since he doesn't have any money to work with craft projects seemed like the way to go. We've made a number of projects throughout the month, and today we finally put the finishing touches on the very last project. With only three days to go, you might call that "just in the nick of time."

10 days: getting crafty

Christmas and crafts: if they don't go hand in hand, the stores sure seem to think that they do. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that, as Christmas nears, we find ourselves more chained to indoor activities than we have been previously, and the store think tanks desire to help us spend our time productively. More likely, they just know how to make money. I, for one, was unable to pass by the mulititude of fun foam activities staring me in the face at our local store without buying at least two of them. Thankfully, they are affordable, and the fun they have provided was entirely worth the $3.75 spent.