Merry Christmas! I woke up this morning to this message on my kids’ white board, created by my eight-year-old and my two-year-old. So much excitement! The kids are busy making last-minute Perler bead gifts – a great way to stay busy on Christmas Eve. The stockings are hung, and slowly being filled with child-made gifts (we will add a few small things once the kids are asleep tonight). The kids are allowed to look in their stockings as soon as they wake up, quietly so that Mike and I can stay asleep! We wait until everyone is up to open gifts.
We have thoroughly enjoyed reading Christmas books from our advent calendar, and our tree has made quite the play scape for the kids. Can you find three babies AND Anna’s stuffed panda bear in the photo above? I took the picture because of the babies, and didn’t see the panda bear until I was putting the photo in this post. The kids are also loving our felt nativity and the Playmobil nativity set I bought for them this year – such an easy way to teach kids the Christmas story!
I know that, someday all too soon, my kids will outgrow ziplining their toys to the tree and other shenanigans. In the meantime, our tree is simple and child-friendly, and I love seeing all of the handmade ornaments on our tree. I’m making Christmas memories watching the kids play but also enjoying the elegant trees I see in other homes. There are lots of wonderful ways to have a Christmas tree!
My Christmas wish is my son’s prayer from a few days ago, one he asked to say in addition to his typical bedtime prayer:
Please bless everyone in the world to be nice and to be kind.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, full of love and kindness.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
What a kind wish for us all!
His wish made my day.
Merry Christmas! The tree is so much fun.
Beautiful tree! I love Johnny’s prayer.
It was such a sweet prayer, and one we all need.