Oh Christmas Tree

Getting ready for Christmas was really fun this year. The girls are old enough to begin anticipating future events, and they were really feeling all the buzz and excitement that comes with the Christmas season.

We put our Christmas tree and outdoor lights up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and we had a couple helpers this year! Addie helped me put the tree together while Emily helped Dad with the lights.

Addie must have been worried the tree was getting cold, so she covered it with her doll blankets.

Those of you who have had two-year-old helpers know that sometimes things take even longer with help. We were lucky to get the tree entirely set up on day one, but didn't get around to stringing the lights until the next day.

 

 

After the lights were up on the tree, we brought out the nativity set. Emily and Addison were very excited to help set out this new set of "toys."

 

Mary became known as "Mama," and she was very loving during imaginary play, always giving out kisses

Emily and Addison each have a girl in the set, and this year another girl joined the family for Elizabeth

 

Little baby, I am a poor boy too. I have no gift to bring that's fit to bring our king. I played my drum for him, I played my best for him, pa rum pa pum pum

It was day three when we brought out the ornaments. Addie and Emily got to help hang the ornaments, and when Elizabeth woke up from her nap, she got to come admire the finished product.

 

 

 

When Dylan and I were little, we got one ornament each Christmas. Santa put the ornaments in our stockings, and they were always very special because they represented something we were currently into. When I was 10, I got this precious teacup ornament with two little mice having a tea party inside. As a little girl, I always enjoyed a good tea party, and I was also very into tiny things, and the little details in this ornament sure are tiny and cute. This year, Addie took a liking to this ornament, and after realizing there was a blue mouse and a pink mouse, I started calling the little mice Addie Mouse and Emily Mouse. I love that this ornament was special to me when I was little for so many reasons, and now it's special for me all over again for new reasons.

JoJo the elf began visiting at the start of December. He first showed up on top of DeeDee's painting in the living room. It was really fun to watch the girls look for him each morning. Often the search was accompanied by loud shouts of, "JOJO! Jo! Where are you?"

The first time I asked the girls what they wanted for Christmas, Addie's immediate response was, "Tinker Bell!" Emily, on the other hand, needed a little help brainstorming...

Special moments with Elizabeth by the tree...

  

 

 

After a play date with the Rices in Fort Collins, both girls were even more sure that they wanted tinker bells from Santa. Rose has lots of little Tinker Bell and other fairy friends action figures. Addie brought a contraband tink home in her pocket that got some hugs and then needed to be returned to Rose...

Hugging Tink

Playing by the Christmas tree....

Addie was nice enough to hold very still for me by the tree so I could take some slow shutter speed pictures...