Christmas Garlands

Christmas Garlands Originally uploaded by peachicken.

There is something about children that puts a special magic into Christmas. Their excitement is so contagious that you find yourself smiling more and being more animated yourself. This picture was taken in 1980 when our girls were 3 and 18 months old. They enjoyed decorating the tree so much that they thought they would decorate themselves as well.

 Big Eyed Becky (the one with the Santa hat) would tell her little sister stories about Christmas and if she didn't know any stories, she would make them up as she went along. Suzy never tired of the stories or the attention. I look at my two very beautiful married daughters now and still see the little girls in them. I still see the excitement about decorating the house, playing Christmas music from Thanksgiving till Christmas night. I remember making cut out cookies and the decoration process (which usually included the table, chair and floor as well.)

 I remember cutting a paper chain link off for each day until Christmas as they had no concept of time but could see the paper chain get shorter and shorter. We would do a special Christmas activity each day.... watch a Christmas movie, make Christmas cards for the grandparents and friends, bake cookies, make handprint reindeer pictures, and even have a snowball fight or build snowmen out in the yard. Those days slipped by so quickly it's hard to realize my oldest will be having her first baby in just about a month. They say with every baby born; a grandmother is born too! I can hardly wait, and I can't keep from smiling!