Little & Big

my favorite ornaments (and his)

I bought the ornaments in New York City one year just before Christmas.  I was in some big department store, in some incredible Christmas display, when I saw them.  They called to mind Beatrix Potter and the Wind in the Willows.  And I just had to have them.  One of each (and in some cases 2). 

They are my absolutely-do-not-touch ornaments.  And this has been (so far) my everythings-under-control Christmas. But this is what I spied on the living room floor this weekend. 

My ornaments.  And my littler boy.  Having a lovely time together.

(the ways we're) celebrating the season

                                            (the best part: friends)

St. Nicholas came!

And woudn't you know, it was a day early!

Could it be that St. Nicholas is simply too busy (and tired and a tad overwhelmed) these days  -- and he's lost track of what day of the month it is?  That today is the 5th and not the 6th? 

Goodness, St. Nicholas!  Seems you need a good long day off to get your sweet, white-haired head on straight.

So glad you helped yourself to a piece of chocolate cake.  Great middle-of-the-night energy snack!

(See the golden magic dust?)

tree-decorating party

Saturday morning.  After breakfast.

First we tidied up the house.  Then we changed out of our PJ's.  We put on Pandora's Christmas station.  And pulled out the ornaments. 

And we decorated that beautiful tree.

I had a picture of what I wanted the whole affair to be.  Slow.  Gentle.  And organized.  (Because I love it when things are organized.)

No tearing into the Christmas boxes and tossing the ornaments on.  No racing around the house to the Alvin and the Chipmunk's Christmas album.  Nope.  We were going to be civilized.  So it was Dean Martin and Eartha Kitt and a bit of Burl Ives.  I made a motherly decree: "I decide which box of ornaments goes on the tree next."  And I slowly pulled out the various ornament collections.  One. At. A. Time. 

The boys joked: "this year's it's a Momma tree."  And they were right.  And it was GREAT. 

(I think they thought so too.)

christmas tree by horse-drawn wagon. (really.)

                                         (notice the dog; he rode back with us.)

This afternoon.  Just before it got dark.  This is what we did.  Christmas tree farm to ourselves.  Beautiful afternoon.  The moon high in the clear, late afternoon sky.  And all of us winding our way through the trees trying to find just the perfect one.

Amazing.

And we found the perfect one.  Now situated happily in our little home.

(Enormous thanks to TW for sending us there -- what a gift.)

You can do it too: Russell's Tree Farm in Starksboro.  (If you go on a weekday like we did, call for an appointment.)

and one more I just found (that I have to add)