The girls had the week before Christmas off of school and my goal was to spend time together. I put aside personal projects (no pottery) to play, craft, bake and watch movies with my kids. I dropped some balls this Christmas for sure, but being present was one thing I did right. One day, before the cold temps dropped in, we went sledding at a neighborhood park. Oh what fun we had! There was so much laughing and playing. It was so delightful! No one cried and when we were done, we came home and the girls made hot chocolate. I hope my children remember this about their Christmas break and not all the times they told me they're bored and that it's the longest week ever.

Another round of sledding, this time with the new Christmas sleds and both the babies! E loved sledding, although it's all fun and games until his hands got cold! And Ira wasn't so into it. But he did enjoy me holding him. So, win? It takes an immense amount of effort to get 5 children to the sledding hill. Thank goodness for my big girls!

Our Christmas Eve was just lovely! I did a lot of food prep, but then we had some really wonderful moments together. Our friends' invited us to their Christmas Eve service and it was beautiful. Maeve participated in the nativity as an angel and even though the church and the people were unfamiliar to her, she marched herself up to the front of the congregation with the rest of the angels without any trepidation! That girl! It was a great service and I enjoyed all the carols.

Then, we went to our local park to carol with the neighbors and see Santa (!). The park was blanketed in snow and while we were there the weather gave us thick fluffy snowflakes. It was nothing shy of magical.

And then, we returned home and ate Tortierre and salad for dinner. We donned pajamas and took photos. I cannot wait to recreate the photos of E and Ira below in about 10-15 years. Ha! Those two. We read our traditional Christmas books (which I always hear in my Dad's voice) and laid out our stockings and went to bed. Christmas with children is the best.

Sledding with my girls at the local hill while the babies nap. This year, Maeve can walk herself and a sled back up the hill! This feels like a huge milestone. Last year, I had to help her back up the hill and my pregnant body had a problem with that. And bonus, Maeve thinks sledding is really fun.

Last year, Conor and the big girls learned to nordic ski while I stayed home, took care of little kids and my pregnant belly, and baked muffins (so many muffins - some sort of weird nesting). This year we all get to get out there! And it's a total circus just like we guessed it would be! My friend, Amorette, and I drove up during the work week just the two of us to initiate me into the ski crew and I'm really glad we did that before taking up the entire family. Our friend, Parker, was so generous to carry a baby or pull the sled the entire time! The weather was so wintery and it snowed the entire time we were up there. We had a great time and returned home tired. The babies were troopers and so was Maeve. We didn't end up getting Maeve on her skis because oh man, everything else was so much work! But next time, Maeve!

Things to note in the photos:

• Conor's pink boots that gave him wicked blisters
• Ira's snow encrusted hoods
• Snow in E's eyelashes
• Maeve and Ira asleep in the sled
• the sheer amount of snow on the ground and falling