It's beginning to look a little like Christmas...

Christmas is coming.

I haven't felt my usual level of anticipation for Christmas this year. It could be because I'm obsessed with our upcoming trip to Disney World (just five more days!). Or because it's been unseasonably warm. Or because I'm just not ready to let go of what has been an almost perfect fall.

But like it or not, it is coming.

We started decorating this weekend, and even that has not gotten me in the spirit. I grumbled along, wondering why we do so much. Thankfully Laila was there to lift my spirits.

Laila will be three in January, and she is too young to remember last Christmas. When we started unpacking the Christmas decorations this past weekend everything was exciting for her. She went through the entire box of tree ornaments, marveling at each one she pulled out. (Our tree is not up yet--it will arrive tomorrow.) We put a "princess tree" in her room, and she has not stopped admiring it or talking about it.

Laila and her Princess Tree

She was even more charming when I pulled out the nativity scene. She watched intently as I set out each piece.

"Who's she?" she asked, pointing to the shepard.

"It's a shepard," I replied. "I don't think it's a girl, though."

"What's her name?" Laila asked, unconvinced that I knew what I was talking about.

After I meticulously arranged the pieces, Laila moved Mary next to a wise man. "She's going to cuddle with him," she replied.

Then she moved a sheep next to a goat. "And this lamb will cuddle with him," she said.

She picked up another lamb. "Who will he cuddle with," she asked, deeply concerned.

Laila rearranged the entire scene, finding a friend for each figure.

 Connor returned from his trip to Nina and Papa's last night and decorated his blue Charlie Brown tree.

Connor, Puppy, Eagle, Elfie, and Nala.

We kept adding friends, and made a photo-session out of it!

 This morning the children woke up to a special treat from Santa: their Magic Elves had arrived!

Connor had a Magic Elf last year that he named Elfie. This year Laila got her very own. "Look what Connor brought me!" she said. Laila named her Elf Lola.

Laila and Lola

The elves will visit until Christmas Eve, and Santa will take them home with him when he visits. We had a lot of fun with Elfie last year, and Connor was excited to have his friend return. The cool thing about these elves is that the children can play with them during the day. At night we sprinkle them with Magic Elf Dust, and that is when the real fun begins!

So Christmas is here. I know it will be a lot of fun--it always is. Merry Christmas from our family to yours!