 |
| Two little Wilsons at Wilson Farms |
We have had the best, busiest month imaginable! I start out each December the same way, resolving to not over-schedule our family so that we can enjoy the magic of the season without all the accompanying stress. As it turns out, that is an impossible task. There are just so many fun things to see and do at Christmas time, and it's hard to say no. That being said, we have done our best to preserve a balance and not get too crazy. We have had some incredible adventures this month...
 |
Harper kicks off December in my Christmas shirt,
drinking a Coke intended for Santa. Merry merry! |
We started the month by checking the biggest holiday "to do" off our list: Christmas cards. I resolved to have them in the mail by December 1, before the Christmas season kicked into high gear. Fortunately for me, Hunter really wanted to "help." With that cute little Christmas elf at my side and Starbucks in my hand, we did it. It's not the cheeriest of holiday tasks, but it sure feels good to get it done.
Another special holiday tradition is our town's annual Christmas tree lighting. They turn on the holiday lights in the town center, as well as on the big Christmas tree that sits on the green. All the while, there are vendors in the streets,; plus free fried dough, hot chocolate, popcorn, and balloons. Then Santa and Mrs. Claus make their grand entrance, rolling into town on a horse drawn carriage, while faux snow floats down from the sky. There is also a little train, and for my kiddos (who want no part of meeting the Claus couple) this is the best part of the night.
This year, we were lucky enough to meet up with dozens of our friends. The night was on the warm side so we got pizza to go and had an impromptu picnic in the street, before wandering around with the kids. It was pure magic. We just love merry-making with friends by our side.
 |
Harper didn't want to meet Santa OR Mrs. Claus--
but she loved hopping into their carriage for a minute! |
 |
| Merry little friends! |
We have also enjoyed some fun Christmas crafts. Earlier in the month, we decorated sugar cookies with some friends. Of course, we ate a lot of them while we worked. Because taste testing is very important.
After asking for weeks to make gingerbread houses, I finally got organized to have some little friends over to the house to join in on the fun. Some of the kiddos were pretty little so the moms got to help too, which is always a treat. Hunter was surprisingly interested in constructing his house, but he was also very motivated to snack on the decorations--so he still let me help him. Harper and her little friend, Anne, chatted away while working on their creations. The secret ingredient? I got the best tip from a friend, to hold the graham crackers together with hot glue, and believe it those little houses were rock solid. Now we just can't let the kiddos eat the actual house--just the candy on top!
 |
| Harper, Hunter, and Anne making gingerbread houses |
 |
| …And done! |
Harper also worked really hard on Christmas gifts for teachers and other special adults in her life. She made little glass votive holders that had a stained glass effect, which she created by layering different colored tissue paper and even a little glitter. I love that she was able to complete the whole project herself, and results were truly so stunning. She was so proud to give gifts that she had a hand in making, and I think this is so important.
Harper also really wanted to give gifts to all her little friends, and so we found another fun craft that she could do for them: Christmas crayons! We peeled the paper off of all of our old and broken crayons (a far more time consuming process than one would think). Then we put all the broken pieces into a silicone cookie mold of Christmas shapes: stockings, trees, and gingerbread men. They go into the oven to melt, and then they come back out again to harden into perfectly formed Christmas crayons. I was so impressed with how well they turned out, and Harper was beyond excited to deliver little sets of crayons to her friends.
Hunter has gotten really into crafting too, and this month provided lots of opportunities for him to color. He was most focused on coloring pictures of horses. What did he want for Christmas from Santa? "A horsey and a robot." In addition to coloring, he has also been working really hard with Magnatiles, building all sort of elaborate structures. Fingers crossed that Santa's elves have been working on some more Magnatiles for our home collection--because I know one little boy who really, really wants some…
This month, I had the privilege of reading a special Christmas story to Harper's preschool class. We chose The Polar Express, which was always a favorite Christmas story of mine growing up--and it just means the world to me that the Hs love it as much I did and still do. The story takes on special meaning this year, since last year we attended the special 4D show of the animated movie version at the Science Museum with some special little friends, including our sweet angel friend, Marjorie. It's a memory that we have held dear since, and now her memory and her bright light is very much embedded in the magic of the tale. As she would have been in Harper's preschool class, it felt right to share that book. As a special treat for Harper and her classmates, I put little gold bells on bakers twine so that each child had a bell of their own to jingle at the end--which they could only hear if they believed in the magic of Christmas. It was so much fun! The class was so engaged with the story, and it really made my heart feel so full to be a part of Harper's class and to see how much she enjoys being there at school. I could feel our little friend, Marjorie, smiling down on all the little friends. She will always be a part of the Christmas magic for us now, and we will never stop believing.
I know that Harper feels the same way. The other day, Auntie Vivi watched the Hs while I was at a doctor's appointment. When I came home, Harper showed me the Christmas tree drawing that she and Auntie Vivi made together. Auntie Vivi had helped Harper list those she treasures around the branches of the tree. Harper has been talking a lot about Marjorie and her big brother, Rex, this month, and she has assured me that they are "playing together in heaven." Full disclosure, it had been a busy, challenging, stressful week--and all of that sort of melted away, when I saw all of these special names around the Christmas tree they had made. It was a truly tender reminder of one of the greatest blessings of Christmas: the chance to be with our loved ones, if we are indeed so lucky to have them with us.
 |
"Mom, look! A gingerbread house!"
Enjoying the Christmas window displays in Harvard Square |
This special reminder inspired us to turn our week around, to count our blessings. That same afternoon, Harper, Hunter, and I took a trip into Harvard Square to deliver the gifts we had picked out last month for special friends from The Home for Little Wanderers who don't have has much as we do. The Curious George Store in Harvard Square is one of the drop off sites for The Home's gift drive so we drove in, loaded up our stroller, and the kids helped bring the items inside. It was a nice compliment to last month's lessons on gratitude to focus on giving this month.
Afterwards, we strolled through the square and made a special stop at Cardullo's, the iconic gourmet food shop where my beloved Daddy, their Grandpa Nick, used to always get special stocking stuffer treats. So I stealthily did the same, feeling strengthened by following in his footsteps. And of course, Harper and Hunter got to choose a treat to enjoy as well.
 |
| Following in Grandpa Nick's footsteps with a few special Christmas errands |
From there, we took our treats and walked over to the Cambridge Common to enjoy some quick park play. We couldn't resist the chance to visit one of our favorite playgrounds when the weather was so nice. The kids weren't even wearing winter coats! It wasn't exactly what you would call "festive" weather, but we definitely weren't complaining. They had a blast running around, and I got to have a few moments to sip a hot chocolate from Burdick's. Win win. We love Harvard Square at Christmas, and this intentionally meaningful trip made our hearts light.
Another fun field trip that we took was to see the zoo lights. We went last year as well on what turned out to be one of the coldest nights of the month. This year, we lucked out with far milder weather to wander the Stone Zoo at night and see the fantastic light display. We also ate as much fried dough and hot chocolate as we could, and Harper and Hunter were excited to go on the carousel. There is nothing that I find more festive than Christmas lights, and so this is becoming a beloved tradition. Two years makes tradition, right? We had learned a few tricks last year, like what time to arrive to avoid traffic and buying our tickets online to bypass the entry line, both of which made this a smoother experience. By next year, we will be pros!
We have enjoyed some really special Christmas "firsts" this month as well. One was a trip on the Polar Express! We drove up to North Conway, NH and rode on the scenic Conway Railroad that they transform into the Polar Express. It was such a neat experience, and I was happy and relieved that they really followed along with every detail from the book. All passengers wore their jammies, enjoyed hot chocolate and chocolates on board. We made a stop in the "North Pole" where we got to see Santa and the elves, and of course, a little boy selected the first gift of Christmas: a bell from the sleigh. When we got back on the train, we were surprised with a bell for every passenger--and the Hs were thrilled. It was fun staying in North Conway overnight too. Our bed and breakfast was right in town near the train station, and we had fun exploring some of the shops the next morning after breakfast. The clear favorite was an encounter with Frosty the Snowman. Hunter especially just looooves Frosty, and he gets really excited whenever the song comes on the radio. This has been such a fun year to celebrate Christmas with our sweet kiddos, each of them connecting to different aspects of this magical season.
 |
All aboard the Polar Express!
In our matching family jammies, of course. |
 |
| We believe! |
 |
| We found Frosty! |
 |
| Decisions, decisions. |
Another special first was Harper's first trip to the Boston Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. I have been waiting for this for the last couple of years, having always attended The Nutcracker when I was growing up and loving the tradition. This year, it felt like Harper was at a good age to follow the storyline and really appreciate the experience. We made it a girls' trip, taking Mimi and Aunt Annie with us. We had so much fun! Our seats were in the second row of the orchestra section so we were nice and close, the perfect place for Harper to see all the dancers and really feel like part of the production. She loved it! She had a million questions, and she was so excited to choose a special sugar plum fairy ornament for our tree--and a nutcracker ornament to bring home to Hunter.
 |
| Mimi showing Harper the orchestra pit before the show started |
 |
| First trip to the Nutcracker for this little Christmas sweetie! |
Another Christmas first was Harper's first music recital at her school! On the Friday before Christmas vacation, families were invited to the school to watch the kids perform the songs they have been learning in music class so far. Hunter and I attended, and we were lucky to have Aunt Annie join us as well. It was absolutely adorable! Harper loved performing, and it made my heart so full to watch her. Hunter was mesmerized too. The show concluded with a visit from Santa. Harper and Hunter have been Santa averse so I wasn't surprised when she jumped up and made a beeline for my lap as Santa made his way around the group--but she happily accepted a gift for her and Hunter, a set of jingle bells that they were both super excited about. Afterwards she was really proud of her successful Santa encounter. Two happy Santa experiences this year--hurray for progress!
That same day, we attended an open studio at Harper's dance class--a special tradition that we always enjoy. Harper was thrilled to have Aunt Annie watching her, and of course, Hunter always loves an excuse to get in on the dance class action.
 |
| Harper and her little dance buddy, Emma |
This week, the countdown to Christmas was really on--and so we made sure to get our letters to Santa written. Harper was sure to address her letter, which was short and sweet, to Santa AND Mrs. Claus, which made me smile; we all know that the Mrs. gets things done:
Dear Santa and Mrs. Claus,
I was very good this year. I would like a Sophia doll.
Love,
Harper
Hunter, on the other hand, has been drawing pictures of "horseys" for Santa all month, but I helped write out his letter for him--per his instruction:
Dear Santa,
I have been a good boy this year. I would like a horsey and a farm. I would also like a robot, a cow, and trains.
Love, Hunter
One of the stores right here in our own town actually had a special mailbox where you could post your letters to the North Pole so, after working hard to write/illustrate them, we made a special trip to get them in the mail. Harper and Hunter got to pick out a candy cane treat too. Win win.
We have continued to think of our special angel friend, Marjorie, all month. She is so present in the spirit of Christmas. Harper said that her favorite memory of Marjorie was the Christmas Eve that we spent at her house last year. She shepherded us so sweetly to baby Jesus in our little nativity last year, and she has continued to do so since. We look forward to seeing her family tonight, and she will be very much in our hearts as we share the holiday evening with loved ones.
The plan is low key--to enjoy dessert together; help the kids act out the nativity; and share some special Christmas traditions with one another. We are happy to have the opportunity to have our treasured friends join us at our home as we celebrate this sacred holiday evening. Merry merry!
