Just What the Doctor Ordered

Today was precisely the day we needed around here. Maybe we won't have to cancel Christmas and maybe I won't be forced into early retirement. As it turns out when my kids get some sleep and actual food (as opposed to subsisting wholly on sugar) they're quite delightful.

I spent the morning walking with a good friend who also happens to be my aunt, and then visited with some other friends. That's always a great way to start things off. Then my sister and her kids came over and I helped Eliza and my girls make these:

I know you can't tell from the photo, but they're actually hairclips, cute huh?

Anna made the ones on the left and Abby's are on the right

It was fun to teach my girls and my 24 year old sister how to thread a needle and do a little hand-stitching. :) We both felt very uncharacteristically crafty.

After Lizey and Abe and Belle left the kids and I settled in and watched Polar Express. Brennan came home a bit early and took and nap with Joshy while I went into Ben's room to help him find the pair of pants he wanted (he decided around 4 pm to change out of his jammies). While I was in there Nate's bed looked so inviting I gave in and took a nap in it.

When I woke up the boys were playing happily, the girls were outside playing barbies in the snow and so I made dinner accompanied by my very favorite Christmas music and assisted by Nate and Ben. Seriously, if you've never heard of Cori Connors, you really should. She has two Christmas albums and I'm completely in love with both of them. There's something kind of melancholy about the first album "Sleepy Little Town", but it's also deliciously cozy and comforting. The new album is called "One Small Boy". LOVE them.

After dinner the 4 big kids went outside to sled on our driveway. After that Brennan got the boys to bed and I let the girls watch part of White Christmas with me and then sent them to bed and started wrapping gifts while I finished the movie. Lovely day.

Here are some recent photos:

Here's how the kids entertained themselves yesterday, dressing up and posing

Family Christmas party
Molly, my neice, sweetest angel EVER!

Another niece, Belle, the cutest and craziest camel, EVER.

Benny the Shepherd


Abe the star

a photo of Brennan smiling, just look at those blue eyes!