It's the silly season!

I love Christmas. I love the festivities, I love giving gifts, I love getting gifts. I love making things and decorating. I love wrapping gifts and making or buying something special for someone special. I love the food and being with the people who are important in our lives. Most of all, now I am a mum, I love seeing Christmas through my kids eyes. I love being with my amazing little family through this time of year.

Bear Bear is beside herself now that the Christmas season is here. She has asked me countless times to put up the Chrissy tree. She loves to see the decorations going up around town and notices all of the new shop-front decorations. We will put the tree up all together, tomorrow. It's a week or so earlier than is tradition for me to do, but I can't help myself. I want to make the excitement she has last as long as I can!

Little Dude, I don't think is nearly so excited, but he feels the bubbling excitement from Bear and me and gets a bit of a glow on. But I think he may have the Bah Humbug bug that WonderHubby suffers with.

And of course, Buggity Boo, well...he's still a bit little to really get what Christmas is, this will only be his second one. But he has already been grooving to some Christmas carols with me and Bear, and he adores the tinsel at the shops!

WH is a bit cynical about Christmas. He sees the religious side of it, and since we aren't religious at all, he is a little bit reluctant to really celebrate. He tries to get in on the act because he knows I love it all. And, he does love to see the kids excited, just like me (really, which parent would be able to ignore a 5 1/2 year olds' over flowing excitement at singing Jingle Bells in her pre-school Christmas concert?!)

He also loves to give us (the kids and I) gifts. He finds it tough keeping them to himself until Christmas Day (or, as is tradition for us, Christmas Eve, we get to choose one gift from under the tree to open) which I adore about him. In that way, he gets just as excited as the kids do.

But in the sense of the religious celebrations and the consumerism which seems to often come with Christmas these days, I do see his point, to a point. I feel that we can celebrate it how ever we choose. It need not be religion or the gift buying/giving which is celebrated, but the family, the friends, the food and the life-gifts which we have been generously graced with.

I love the traditions which are forming for our family.  Putting up the Christmas tree together. Bear has taken to talking about the decorations we have which are meaningful; the things Little Dude or Bear have made, or the special ones which have been given to us as gifts. Getting to delight in one of our gifts on Christmas Eve, where it isn't a frenzy of kids screaming "SANTA CAME!!" and family or friends and paper, cards, wrapping, boxes and more paper! This year, I want to put up all of the crafty things they make at pre school and day care. I want to make some things together at home. I want the house to scream CHRISTMAS form the roof down to the carpet!

I can't wait to make treats for the kids to share at Pre School and day care, maybe some thing like these....And also some home made goodies for some other special little people in our lives, possibly some things like playdough or home made cards...I also want to make a Christmas advent calendar (which I will need to get organised if I want it for the beginning of December!), some thing very simple and easy for the kids to use... with some craft or cooking activities, or a little chocolate or gift inside each window.

Goodness, with all of those plans on making things...I think I need to get sorted! I adore Christmas time. I think I said that...But don't you?