Hump Day Nuggets: The Good Old Days

There is something about this time of year that always sends me back down memory lane. Perhaps it's the deep traditions I remember from childhood, the new ones we're making with our own family, the twinkle in my girls' eyes, or just that I'm getting old. Dang if that's it.

I love reminiscing. As a child I often watched old home videos, just for fun. I still sip on wine and read my old blogs some nights, to remember what it was like last year, last month, last week, when time seems to so quickly fly lately. I feel like it grounds me to so presently remember the past, where I'm from and from where I've come. It's helped me to do some soul searching and changing. I'm a big fan of memory lane.

This time of year has always been so special to me. The first snowfall, the first Christmas cookies filling the house with good smells, decorating and scheming and anticipating. In college, late nights studying, writing and painting (some of my favorite nights truth be told). As a newlywed in the hustle and bustle of all families christmas. As a new mama to my new first littlest love, spending her first christmas in our little apartment with a quiet tree and a bursting heart. Last Christmas with my two dumplings and my happy family, sharing in the love and joy of this season all together.

Each year really just keeps getting better. I've found my personal zeal for the holiday quite shifted. Instead of me gazing in wonder at the tree and the empty hopeful stockings, it's my girls eyes that light up with joy and anticipation. I love getting to create that joy with them, for them.

I love that our traditions are almost equal parts Jesus and Santa. Ainsley knows the nativity story by heart, for her own curiosty in the sweet baby Jesus cannn't be satiatied. She LOVES the Little Drummer Boy and the animals staring in awe. She loves the mother Mary, and totally gets needing to care for her little one. Louise mostly loves to make all the animals kiss baby Jesus. louise is all about kissing these days.

I love that all Ainsley wants for Christmas is "a treat mama, like chocolate, or OOOOH, maybe a candy cane?" There are few moments thus far in my parenting life that I've been willing to say "I did somethign right there" but my child's sheer joy and gratitude in the simplest SMALLEST gifts is one. she gets what a big deal it is, that it's somethign special. I love that about my girl.

So despite the rain and gloom and hurry scurry, there's lots to love this time of year. I'm pretty in love with it all.

Nuggets::

Morning Louise. One of my favorite times ever.

::morning dynamic duo? also pretty great::

Nuggets:

We had our first snow last week. Well, first dusting. Just a half inch of the white stuff was enough to set the girls in winter motion. Full on snow suits, snow angels, teeny tiny snowmen and red cheeks abounded. It was a great morning.

Nuggets:

I took Ainsley to her first ballet, the Nutcracker, with Auntie Sonya this past weekend. She was absolutely entranced. I think we may have a little ballerina on our hands.

Nuggets:

Baking and cooking are still two of our favorite long afternoon inside activities. I just can't get enough of my girls vying for position on the step stool, focused and hungry to help. Simply can't get enough.

::on the menu this week? spritz cookies,

gingerbread play dough, caramels and english toffee hence ALL that butter::

Nuggets::

My sweet Louise. Now that she's officially done with morning naps we spend Ainsley's playschool mornings just the two of us, erranding and playing. What a special time it has become for just me and my girl. I love her to pieces.

::taking advantage of this unseasonably warm weather at the park::

I just can't get over how much she's grown (up) in the past few months. She such a little girl now, a sweet moving talking little girl. We have such fun together. I'm one lucky mama.

Nuggets:

Christmas came early at our house today. After all the presents had been thoughtfully bought, wrapped and budgeted for one of my FAVORITE kids clothing lines was on sale on zulily. So I did what any rational parent of two woudl do. I went nuts. Well, not nuts, I filled up my virtual cart and literally spent a half hour agonizing over which items to keep, how much we could afford. I ended up with some amazing stuff. New dresses for both of my girls, new pants, a skirt and a shirt for Ainsley. I always buy a size up from where they are to make sure everything fits and lasts as long as it can. We were all pretty excited upon the arrival of that box this morning.

Nuggets:

I feel like we're on the horizon of some new big stuff. today ended a great semester at musikgarten, and with it we're looking forward to the new year. New classes and schedules, new friends to meet and make, work to do. Ainsley's amazing playschool teacher commented on how ready she thought Louise was for playschool this next fall. I can't even fathom her being big enough to ever leave my side. But somehow she will be, just as Ainsley is now, independent and big and smart and free. We've exited the baby years, with long nights and snuggles, full on into the big kid stuff. I haven't had time to stop and really ponder all that's changed in our lives. I'm so thankful for it all, and yet again trying to focus on the here and now. Because it's pretty great.

Happy hump day out there!