The trappings

Ahh Christmas! 

It's really sneaking up on me this year. I'm not sure if going from 1 kid to 3 in one fell swoop is a factor (just a minor detail, right?), or if it's the late Thanksgiving...but this holiday season has literally flown by.

(Right now all three of my angels are happy and content to let me quick, fast! Roll out a blog post)

It's so easy for me to get distracted by the gift giving, the elf hiding, the merry making, the party hosting and all that jazz, that I forget all about the important stuff...

The important stuff like, sitting with Isabella and making messes together.

My childhood Christmas memories involve making ornaments at the kitchen table with my mom and sisters, shaking my presents, circling items in the American Girl catalog (then it was Pleasant Company) listening to classic Christmas music in the home with candles lit, and baking!

Oh, the baking we did.

My mom always involved us in the holiday baking in some way, shape, or form, I DON'T know how she did it and kept her sanity intact...actually, I do. She never worried about messes, she just let us help, help, help to our heart's content. I never realized until now what a great quality that was she possessed. Her ability to realize nothing else mattered, just letting us be involved, and it worked, because those memories are ingrained in my head like my favorite old Christmas song. 

 Our house was seldom ever perfect and tidy...but we were such happy, creative kids.

So today when Isabella woke up for school, and I drug out the books and materials, ready to slog through the morning in a decaffeinated stupor...one little thing she said made it very obviously clear to me, that she needed some time with just me, to sit, make a mess and just...be. 

Back went the books and materials. Out came the cookie icing, paint, glue, glitter, paintbrushes and other craft sundries...on came the Bing Crosby. 

The twins napped at the same time. It's a Christmas miracle!

And we mess made. We merry maked. We laughed. We spilled lots of glue. And Isabella lost a tooth in her sandwich.

I feel like *today* this was all far more important and necessary than telling time, learning verbs and spelling words.

This girl decorates a mean gingerbread cookie!

Proud.

Pretending like she doesn't see the giant black eye of my lens in her face ;-)

I had to make one too!

Someone woke up to wallow in sweet potatoes! If only it was socially acceptable for me to enjoy my food like this.

I found these two cuddled up in Bella's bed watching a Christmas movie together. Oh my heart!

What's a guy gotta do around here to get a bite of a cookie?!

Love these messy masterpieces.

Mess, glorious mess! It's still there. At nearly 4:00 pm. What?

Christmas angel, needs a halo, yes? And painted pine cones. She lost interest before the pom poms got glued on, guess that means I can glue them on any way I want ;-)