good times

there has been a lot of sweets making, sweets eating, pajama wearing, game playing, rudolph watching, and general lazing about these past several days.  there were carols at a neighbor's home and then christmas eve saw claire and I taking in the children's christmas pageant at the episcopal church in town, a service that started with definitely more than three wise men and many, many animals and angels, and ended with candles and song.  and then dinner at home, the three of us.  christmas day at home was cinnamon rolls and coffee with beeba, claire loving the teepee that beeba made for her, some peeking in on neighbors, lots of papa swinging her around in the full body harness that was his special gift to her (again papa! again!) and a dinner of homemade pierogies and mushroom soup (a 'la my late grandma helen) shared with my dad.  all followed the day after by a much longer than usual trip up the shenandoah valley (neither of us had bothered to check the weather first, oops) and some postponed family visits due to lots of stomach flu cases (fortunately not affecting the three of us).  there is very light snow falling right now, with the promise of continued and hopefully a bit heavier snow for the rest of the day, and an afternoon date for some present opening with nana, pipop, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  my belly is full of blueberry muffins and hot tea and, just now, looking up, I see that the heavier snow has indeed come.  so now I'm off to watch claire watch the snow fall and to make sure I know where the hot cocoa and popcorn and cookies are, to start a fire, and to make a provisional pile of warm winter wear for some chilly play.


*linking along with amanda for 'this moment'