Advent adventures

We're already 3 weeks into Advent and we just now got the Christmas decorations out.

It started after mass this Sunday when we drove down Maple Avenue to pick up a Christmas tree. The older gentleman who sells the trees from his front yard tried to help Matt tie down the tree on Debbie Dodge's roof and running twine thru the sliding doors (Debbie lost one of her roof racks). We made it a few blocks before the tree slid off the roof - twice! The third time Matt got the tree secured and we victoriously pulled into our driveway with our tree. 

Matt set it up in the sun room and it was just the right size. I carried up a few of the Christmas boxes from the basement and Josephine and Coryn quickly set to scattering Christmas decor around the house. Coryn honed in on the various Nativity sets while Jo took charge of the ornaments. Matt wove colored lights around the tree, put the Santa train out front and strung up some lights around the front door.

 Jo claimed a ribbon of felt snowflakes and taped them to the wall above her bunk bed - dorm room style. Coryn took charge of hanging up the stockings and insisted that mine was hung up too. Monday morning while I was tidying up around the family room I stumbled across a letter Coryn had written on her own and left for Santa under the stockings:

This week I've found myself grinning while washing the dishes and doing other chores around the house because I am surprised by another little ornament carefully placed by one of our cheerful little elves. The only problem is this: a few of the sparkly ornaments are right at eye level for Mallory. She's taken to pulling them down and sucking on them like they are lollipops. Always keeping me on my toes, that one is.