The holiday books are out, and my Bear cannot help himself. The tradition goes like this: I sneak into the attic on the eve of December and bring down 24 of our favorite holiday titles. I wrap them and place them in a big basket in the foyer, and the next morning the children take turns choosing a book a day to curl up with and read as a family. We all love this. We read the books over and over until January, and then I pack them back up.
Well, this year I definitely wanted to cash in on my mom's mad wrapping skills before she skipped town, so I darted up to the attic last Friday after the wee ones fell asleep. That's when I realized I had accumulated close to 50 Christmas titles {largely thanks to Grandma DJ}. I tried to get it down to 24 for the story basket, but I just couldn't. I pulled out six books that I didn't particularly enjoy reading aloud, and my mom and I stayed up late wrapping the other FORTY THREE. And laughing. What can I say? I feel attached to each and every one of them. Two days later my friend Allison gifted us another awesome title that was a duplicate in her house, so we're back up to 44 faves.
The basket holds a wide range of holiday goodness, including:
1. The Magical Christmas Horse by Mary Higgins Clark (HC)
2. The Tiny Star by Arthur Ginolfi (BB)
3. Clifford’s First Christmas by Norman Bridwell (PB-Scholastic)
4. Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holidays Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (HC)
5. The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson (PB-Scholastic)
6. The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck (HC)
7. Dumpy Saves Christmas by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton (HC)
8. Corduroy’s Christmas by Don Freeman (HC)
9. God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergen (HC)
10. Best Christmas Book Ever! by Richard Scarry (HC)
11. The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry (BB)
12. The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas Tale About the Rockefeller Center Tree by David Rubel (HC)
13. Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun (PB)
14. Olive, The Other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh (HC)
15. I’ve Seen Santa by David Bedford (PB-Scholastic)
16. Clifford’s Christmas by Norman Bridwell (PB-Scholastic)
17. Christmas by Dick Bruna (HC)
18. Here Comes Santa Claus by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman (HC)
19. Santa Mouse by Michael Brown (HC)
20. The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer (HC)
21. Is It Christmas by John Prater (HC)
22. Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck and Felicia Bond (BB)
23. Harold at the North Pole: A Christmas Journey with the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (PB)
24. Thomas Kinkade A Child’s Christmas at St. Nicholas Circle by Douglas Kaine McKelvey (HC)
25. Oliver’s First Christmas illustrated by Kristi Valiant (HC)
26. Mary’s Christmas Story by Teresa Olive (PB)
27. The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear by Stan and Jan Berenstain (PB)
28. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer retold by Dennis R. Shealy (PB)
29. The Christmas Story by Patricia A. Pingry (HC)
30. Mary Engelbreit’s A Merry Little Christmas: Celebrate from A to Z (HC)
31. The First Christmas: A Pop-Up Book (HC)
32. Who’ll Pull Santa’s Sleigh Tonight? By Laura Rader (PB)
33. The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats (PB)
34. Tomie’s Little Christmas Pageant by Tomie DePaola (BB)
35. The Twelve Days of Christmas (HC)
36. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Original Story of Rudolph by Robert L. May (HC)
37. Silent Night by Vicki Howie (HC)
38. The Animals’ Christmas Eve by Gale Wiersum (HC)
39. B is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet by Isabel Wilner (BB)
40. Merry Christmas illustrated by Kathy Couri (mini BB)
41. The Christmas Star by ZonderKidz (min BB)
42. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by James Marshall (BB)
43. The Night Before Christmas: The Classic Edition by Clement C. Moore (HC)
44. Humphrey's First Christmas by Carol Heyer (HC)
We didn't buy anything on 'Black Friday' except for a Balsam Fir and some crazy-good roadside BBQ in the middle of nowhere. {I love not shopping when everyone else is. I avoid the stores at all cost. Being outdoors with my lovelies was much more fun!}
New York was blessed with warmth and sunshine over the Thanksgiving holiday, so we took it and ran. My parents came to town for three fun-filled days, and as it's tradition to saw down a tree together once a year ~ either theirs or ours ~ I chose a new-to-us farm that was opening for the season on Friday morning. {Thanks to our friend Ron for the recommendation.} It's an hour from our house and offers 9 varieties for u-cut. Hip hip!
The end goal was a Concolor Fir, a whimsical variety My Sweets and I fell for several years back. When we started meandering through the aisles Buby decided he wanted a Balsam instead. Or a Douglas. Or Spruce. Anything BUT a Concolor. Apparently he doesn't fancy bluish tones on trees, even though it's his "bestest" color any other time of year. Buby is a purest in all things Christmas.
I've never been one to get in and get out at apple orchards, pumpkin patches or tree farms. I do not like to rush the magic of the hunt, nor do I like to slow the energy and momentum with a lot of posing. My Buby and I are so similar in that way. 
Unfortunately he set his tender little heart on one tree that was impossibly too big and tall for our place. That seriously bummed him out, so we all scurried in search of suitable alternatives. "Look, Buby! Over here!" and "Close your eyes. I think you are going to love this one!" We would have never gone with a tree he didn't really like. Buby lives for this.
Bear was happy in the Ergo and happy to explore.
We have a winner! All the littles were in agreement.
By the way, this guy loves his Grandma.
Loves, loves, loves her.
We use the same wooden saw every year and carve in the date. It will make a wonderful keepsake someday. Buby went first and then Bleu.
Five years ago my mom bought this sweater for Buby. Oh how time flies.
Bleu was having a blast! She was all about the measuring tape.
Some hard labor is good for the soul.
This shot makes me smile for some reason. Too out of focus for a Christmas card?
Once again, a family shot never occurred to me. Even with two grandparents at my disposal, I never thought to jump in.
Isn't it funny that last year Bleu missed out on the whole Christmas tree experience--twice--because it was freezing outside and she wouldn't wear a sweater or shoes? And I mean, we couldn't physically get her into them. This year it was warm and she's bundled.
The baling process sort of amazed Buby, watching it beside my dad.
I keep running into these two photos on my desktop. I took them last month during a quick trip Upstate. They remind me of Grandpa J's farm. Of the old wooden treasure box he keeps under his dining room window sill. Of the little metal cars inside that My Sweets and his bro cherished as boys. Of how Buby and Bleu burst onto the scene the second we arrive to zoom zoom those cars over wall-to-wall shag.
By the way, I didn't mean to fall off the grid. My nights have been mostly unplugged due to extra-quality time with My Sweets and a super wakeful teething/nose-running/nursing baby. Plus some baking, overnight guests, holiday prep, and household must-dos. All good things, but I'm waaay behind on email correspondences, blog posts, etc.
If I'm not online again before Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! My parents will be arriving tomorrow and staying through Sunday. So excited. And thankful...
Uh oh. Appears another boy in this house has gone biker on me.
And she's such a riot to watch. This is her third year of super fun weekly gym classes, and we'll continue for as long as she wants to go. I'm starting to see it all come together. Last week she flipped on the rings all by herself! I was amazed, and so was her teacher.
