Sugarplums

 Guess who visited us today?  The Sugarplum Fairy!  We stole Maria's idea and Ruby got to entertain Xanthe and her friends, since Golda got the job of being the Sugarplum Fairy at Claire's birthday party.  Xanthe and her little buddies learned a dance and performed it for my camera.

 They took dressing up very seriously!

 After the Sugarplum's ballet instruction, she served cupcakes and pink Sprite.  It's not dancer food, but it's what they eat in the Land of Sweets.

 Hazel, Esmae, Jade, Izzy, Emi, Claire, Aubry, Xanthe, Phebe and Hazel

 Our craft was pretty lame, but the kids didn't seem to notice.  I googled "kids Christmas Crafts" and bought coffee filters and suckers.  They're supposed to look like dancers, and some of them did, if you used your imagination.

 Heart-to-heart princess talk between Claire and Hazel

 The Fairy sent the girls home with their work of art and a bag of adorable chocolate-and-candy-cane dipped marshmallows that I made and forgot to take pictures of.  I think Xanthe had a great time.  After the last princess left, Ari's school friends arrived to decorate and exchange cookies, and Scott grabbed Golda, Ruby and Freestone and took them to Gardner Village.  That left me to eat chocolate and relax, since Ari had the whole household under control.  I tried to soak up the Christmas Spirit because - holy cow! - it's the 23rd!

Scott and I were still in the "let's enjoy Christmas with our precious children" mode tonight, so I read them The Night Before Christmas.  It went like this:  "'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house...Freestone, sit down...Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.  Ruby, grab Ptolemy before he falls.  The stockings were hung by the chimney with...Ari, why are you kicking Golda?...with care...Xanthe, can you just hold still?..."

We did make it to the end, but it wasn't how Clement C. Moore would have read it.  Nevertheless, looking back on a fun day I can say that I really looked at each of my kids and saw how beautiful each one is, now, in this moment.  That's my Christmas gift to myself, to notice the riches that surround me and to love them.  I'm so grateful to have Scott and six and a half perfect kids.  Really, who needs gifts?