First, Eleanor and I started a new tradition this year with a date to the Nutcracker ballet. I think this was the first stage performance she's seen and she loved it.
Second, we also started a new family advent tradition. We've been collecting Christmas books (thanks to some good friends for helping with that too) for awhile. So, I wrapped them all up and put them under the tree. Eleanor loves opening a new Christmas book every day. I do too, since it provides some new reading material for bedtime stories!
And speaking of Christmas books, I decided to read Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" this year. I don't think I've actually ever read it before. It was excellent. A beautifully written lesson of how to feel the real spirit of Christmas.
Here are a couple of my favorite lines, "[Marley's ghost to Scrooge] Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business! ... Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!"
I also planned early to take our own family Christmas picture. That's a fun adventure that involves the tripod, timer and lots of running on my part! Hope you enjoy the result.
To continue one of my family's oldest Christmas traditions, we'll be making Graham cracker houses tonight. So, look for pictures soon! And here is a picture of Eleanor's visit to Santa today. Not sure he knows what a Sleeping Beauty Polly Pocket is, but I'm sure the elfs can help him out.
With lots of Christmas music, cards, secret Santa-ing, snow, parties, lights, etc. it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas this year. I'd love to hear what you do to get in the Christmas spirit too.
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