Christmas Sampler

My typing is limited by the babe in my arms, but wanted to give a glimpse into our pre-Christmas fun…
 

The stockings are hung by the railing with care. We do have a chimney in our house, but this reminded me of the way my grandmother hung stockings in her house at Christmastime.  I always envied larger families at Christmastime and one day dreamed of a railing that would be draped with at least a few children's stockings. 

Note for those with good eyes:  yes, that is Maggie's stocking.  It was crafted too well to hide away forever, and since Bailey does not have a stocking, the girls thought he could use Maggie's.  The cat isn't pleased, but it is that or no Santa Claws.

St. Nick appears …I was not going to go nuts this year and comparatively speaking, probably did not.  Despite my determination to have a simpler Christmas, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to dress up the little guy.  The girls got a kick out of it, and he is just such a sweet, jolly little fellow.

and, last but not least…

 visit to the big man himself!  There will be more updates later, but now I must make a pot of decaf (as the song goes, "She likes coffee at midnight, when the moment is not right"), and wrap my little heart away.  In the immortal words of Clement Moore, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!