Christmastime

We've been thoroughly enjoying the Christmas season. Lots of playing and relaxing and creating.

Below photos (clockwise from top-left):

1. Addie is super affectionate and loves to sit very close (slash, on top of) people. One of my favorite things she does lately is pat my back when she gives me hugs, like a full on grownup.

2. The girls decorating gingerbread men...and girls...and Indians. No, seriously. Complete with loincloths and quivers of arrows. These girls are creative.

3. Carson got to eat one of the Indians and couldn't have been happier about the

 sheer quantity of junior mints required for the decor.

4. Paul and I gave ourselves an early Christmas present and got a much-needed new mattress. The old one had to hang out in the living room for 2 days until we had a chance to take it to the dump. The kids LOVED their "indoor trampoline" and literally passed hours jumping and rolling and flopping and dancing. King of the mattress, though, was Charlie...who was pretty convinced we had simply upgraded his doggie pillow.

5. Layla was a Dewdrop for the Christmas ballet recital. Adorable. (I may or may not have teared up watching her...but if I did, I'll most surely blame it on hormones.) Carson was almost able to sit through the whole thing without sliding off his chair in a fit of 7-year-old-boy-boredom. Almost.

6. Addie is a patient and attentive audience member to her brother's and sister's performances...getting so comfortable in her role that she usually kicks her shoes off first thing.

Below: One of the many reasons I love my little girls is the cute girly things they do. Like set up a lovely tea party in the living room, complete with carefully placed flowers and seating. And adding a placemat as a "welcome" rug to their bedroom, just to make things more beautiful. Couldn't be happier that this next little one is a girl, too.

Paul and I slipped away to Seattle for a weekend for our 10-year anniversary. It was a fabulous getaway (made even moreso by the knowledge that our kids were well cared for by family and friends, without which we never could've done it. Thank you all!). A delightful trip where we explored and played and browsed and walked and laughed and talked and held hands and observed and shopped and relaxed and dined together. One of those trips that refuels your batteries as not just a "mom" and "dad" who happen to happily live together raising cute kiddos, but as a couple who started out as a couple in love in the first place with non-kid things in common to talk and laugh about and to experience together. Oh, he makes me laugh. Love this man...which is more than I can say for my ever-plumpening/-bloating face and body. Meh. Part of the journey.

Merry Christmastime, everyone!