This is the most wonderful time of the year but it can also be one of the busiest time. For sure, it felt a bit like it this week as I had my plate pretty full. The peg doll orders (36 so far) kept me really busy for the past 2 weeks, but I'm happy to report that I completed them all now and they are off to their new owners. Additionally, I was busy working on some last Christmas gifts as well as writing our annual Christmas letter (twice, one in German and one in English), baking cookies and helping out at Amelia's school. Add in my little boy's sleep regression this past week, and you know I'm worn out by today.
Despite all the hectic and stress this week, there were lots of moments I did enjoy. For example: my little boy waking up on Tuesday morning and discovering the decorated Christmas tree in our living room and the train underneath it. Since then, this has been his favorite "toy" to play with. A boy and his trains....
On Tuesday morning, I helped out in Amelia's classroom. The girls were decorating their gingerbread houses and it is nice to have an extra set of hands to help with the clean-up and spills. I loved seeing them all giggly and being creative, each of them having a different decorating style.
Elliot came too and he was just like a preschooler, sitting there and listening to the story (while I cleaned up).
Amelia brought her gingerbread house home yesterday, and look who moved in last night. This silly elf loves candies and I think, he looks very happy here:
On Wednesday, the kids helped me bake some German Christmas cookies for the cookie exchange at my MOPS meeting on Thursday. Amelia did a great job with cutting out the cookies and after baking them, Elliot and her decorated them with sprinkles and red/ green sugar.
After some cookie tasting and a quick dinner, we all went to see A Rockin' Royal Christmas pageant at our church that night. Originally, Amelia was part of the cast but after a couple of weeks of practices she felt intimidated by the older kids and decided she does not want to participate this year. Maybe next year she will give it another try when she is a year older. Nonetheless, the Christmas musical was fantastic and all the kids did a fabulous job.
The next day, we had our holiday themed MOPS meeting, where we did a cookie exchange and snacked on some delicious food ( I brought some deviled eggs with bacon) all while having a couple of hours to chat with other mommies. I brought home a whole box of all kind of different cookies and we have been sampling ever since. We also did a diaper drive for the local community and over the past few weeks, we collected a total of 5,024 diapers. These diapers will be distributed to 3 local outreach centers in our town, who will give them to needy families (Did you know that you can't use food stamps to buy diapers?). It was amazing to see that a little idea (originated thru our book club) and some goodwill and generosity can turn in to such a blessing for people in need.
So after a busy week, we took it easy this afternoon and enjoyed spending it outside in some unseasonal warm (69F) temperatures. I'm still growing some vegetables (lettuce, kohlrabi, onions and greens), but my fall crop has been very slim due to the hot weather and no rain in early fall.
Remember the nativity set we had in our front yard last year? Well, they all kind of broke and now Joseph and baby Jesus are playing buddies for the kids till they get recycled. We will have to find a new set, that's for sure.
Next up, my baby boy is turning 2 on Sunday.
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