What We Do Before Christmas

During the week before Christmas, we're homebodies. We're a family of six introverts. This means we like being in the same house, and having each other available for interaction, but we actually prefer outr own little, individual spaces. The tree is decorated; the presents are tucked beneath.

Adam's in the kitchen because there are, after all, hungry kids to feed. He's making caramels in this photo, just as his mother does at Christmas. It's a nice tradition.

It took forever to get the sugar up to temperature. He's now wrapped them all and will deliver them around town to friends.

There's a lot of this going on:

Bless his heart. Night before last, he slept 15 hours, he said!
And there's a whole lot of this going on:

Anna swiped her Daddy's spot on the couch. We kick her out of our spots regularly.
Peter enjoys the den, his "man cave" during the  Christmas break. He opts for headphones to ensure his introverted privacy.

Julia at last built a fort in her bedroom -- the ultimate in introversion and blessed isolation. All you introverts understand this; all you extroverts are shaking your heads. I'm glad she has a tiny bit of the child left in her, to build a fort.

Julia has layers of privacy ... the bedroom, the fort, and then the headphones. Haha!!

Adam and I sat on our riverside bench one evening at sunset until the wind was too windy.

I do love our sunsets here. Most nights the colors are vivid, that perfect blend of pale blue and orangey pink.

And there's a lot of puppy dog snoozing going on too.

Yesterday Philip, Peter, Julia, and I went to see the Hobbit #2 movie. I enjoyed it, in spite of the many extended liberties taken with the original story. Adam, the ultimate Tolkien purist, was glad he didn't go. He took Anna to get her passport instead. She's going to China this summer for a 6-week internship! We're very excited for her. This is part of her cross-cultural studies major in college.
That's all for now. I'm knitting and crocheting and sewing much of the time -- finishing the stocking for my friend today, then sewing Philip an apron (one of his Christmas requests), and finally crocheting him a scarf for Christmas.  Today is his birthday, my baby boy. When I was a young woman, God gave me a baby boy one Christmas Eve. We love him so.