Advent at Our House II

Reading Stories & Singing Songs

Christmas at our house is not so much about shopping. It's mostly about decorating and stories and singing and making stuff. (Although I DID buy myself a purple Christmas sweater which looks great with a lime green turtle neck. I am NOT kidding!)

Lucy and I have learned lots of new songs. I try to remember the words and go look them up when I can't remember. She just sings and doesn't care which songs the phrase comes from if it fits the tune. (How creative is that?)

She recently discovered our old French Army bugle and attempts to play it although sometimes she just pretends it's a guitar and sings "Comin' Round the Mountain" -- not to be confused with "Go Tell It on The Mountain" which doesn't have strumming.


I have added to my collection of "The Night Before Christmas" books. (I finally succumbed to Robert Sabuda's wonderful pop-up.) I have found some new children's books which I read at nap time. My Merry Christmas, by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a lovely little book which Lucy and I recommend. Belle has her own Christmas book about Jingle Bells which is great for chewing.

While their parents celebrated their mother's birthday, older daughter Susan and I took the little girls along with their great-grandmother LaLa to the "Walk to Bethlehem" which is produced by a rural church in our area. It was a beautiful, chilly night and the village of costumed folks seemed perfect. Now as we place nativities around the house, Lucy knows where to look for the Baby Jesus and she is learning about "The Friendly Beasts."

For many years, I placed a small tree in my studio filled with small nativity figures. This year, I put it in my sitting room as a reminder that I will not always have these children here and that the studio will refill the empty rooms when they are back in their own home. This year will be a very special Christmas and I will decorate and sing songs and read stories . . . .

AAB