dec, 28th - more christmas....

day 665:

our family loves celebrations. so, we certainly didn't need to add children into the mix to give us an excuse to go all out on decorations, themes, headgear, food and good wine. 

but having said that, this year was really the first time that Limi grasped the concept of Christmas and it was fascinating for me to watch her get her head around Santa, the tree and the presents.....it made it all the more exciting and fresh....... 

on Christmas Eve, we laid out Japanese whisky and biscuits for Santa and carrots and milk for the reindeers. Limi was confused by the idea that Santa comes to visit while we're all sleeping but was super excited to see that the carrots and biscuits had been munched on, the milk had been lapped up and the whisky was long gone on Christmas morning. 

we even started a few new, family traditions......... the final book in Limi's advent calendar {see day 640} was 'The Night Before Christmas'. we read it to her on Christmas eve and plan to do the same thing every Christmas eve to come. it's a tradition copied from some family friends and I love the idea that no matter where the children are in the world, they still call home on Christmas eve for their mum to read them the story. the second tradition was in fact, created by Limi.......her present from Santa was a blue scooter which she calls 'Mimi's-very-own-scooter' but when I asked her who had given her the scooter she said, 'The Tree' which was technically correct. So, a new tradition was born.....a present from Santa and a present from The Christmas Tree. 

and once again.....this Christmas proved that it's not about the cost of the present but about putting in the creative time and thought......the presents that Limi loved best of all were two from her stocking......a packet of your basic teachers' gold stars that i picked up in the stationery store and a tiny, plastic baby bird (she's obsessed by baby birds) that you wind up and leave to hop across the floor.....oh, and the box that Andrew's present came in, that's big enough for her to sit inside with all her toys and sing 'row, row, row your boat'.....i predict a new box project {see day 583} in 2012. we had a lovely Christmas and I hope that yours was too. 

dee x