a simple christmas

I hope that Miah is not mad at me in later years for this simple Christmas. We only decorated a small corner of Grandma and Granpa's house this year. We wanted to keep everything simple because next week will flash by with moving Mark to Trinidad, and then I'll be back to my busy schedule in addition to other preparations for Mark's departure. We didn't feel like adding "Clean up Christmas decorations" to our list of things to do. I like, though, that it has kept us focused on the story of Christmas.

 Miah is forever pulling out her Christmas books to "read" to us or her bears. After she posed for this picture--she staged everything--she asked me to read her a story. You can't see it in these pictures, but she also plays with her Little People nativity set when she's not reading, coloring, or dancing to Christmas tunes.

 Speaking of tunes. Miah loves Grandma's tree lights that make music on the first two settings. It's playing now. Miah demands of Mark every evening, "Turn on Christmas!"

The lack of presents under the tree doesn't mean I've been that stingy this year; it's a precaution against curious fingers late at night. One night I woke to find Miah sleeping beside me. I couldn't tell you how that happened, but I could make a good guess: As I sleepily carried her back to her room, I was astonished that the Christmas tree was lit and playing music. On the sofa next to it was a mound of pillows, blankets, toys--and cookie crumbs. I found the bathroom lit with drawers open, so she must have made a beauty stop before rumaging through both cookie piles in the kitchen and making her way downstairs. There she turned on the tree and set up camp with cookies, music, and Eyore. When her eyes became heavy beyond belief she snuck into my bed.

Notice the snowman and round red ornament above it. Miah made those at school this year. She also made a shiny pink mitten I was looking forward to hanging, but she ate the glitter off it on the way home--yuck.