Whirlwind

December is always a mad rush.  I know this.  Yet it still seems like each year goes fast than the one before, more to do, less time. We are in the last countdown to the big day, and the pressure is on to make it magical.  Glittering presents with fluffy bows are appearing each day, our tree glows merrily, cookies have been baked three times this week, cards have been signed with thoughtful notes.  Wrapping paper and candles and Christmas bric-a-brac clutter most of the surfaces in the house right now.  Holiday madness, in full swing.  I want desperately to slow it down, to let the moments linger longer, even as we count the days and wait eagerly for the "real thing".   

As I sit down this evening to write, in a pause between the cookie baking and present wrapping (ignoring for a moment the chores and schoolwork that don't stop just because I'm busy...) I know that it is a sign of a rich and beautiful life, this desperation I am feeling.  I want more time.  I want to treat each of these evenings of wrapping and preparing and planning and dreaming like they are the real thing, instead of racing through with barely time to breathe. 

Tonight's post?  It's me grabbing, desperately, onto these December moments as they race past....

Birthdays and beautiful friends...

We celebrated Nat's 40th with a quiet family celebration on the 4th..

look at that blazing inferno of a cake!

 ... and the much-anticipated party at CMA.

It was perfect.  Twenty wonderful friends, drinks, dancing til my feet hurt, soaking up the beautiful space.  Afterparty at our place-- piano music and sing alongs, friends old and new gathered in conversation... how I love them all!

A day in Lakewood... My choir rehearsal, touring LHS before the old building comes down, hanging out at Becca's house with movies, video games and fun with puppy and Joe, and then Light Up Lakewood-- reindeer and cocoa and bitter cold wind, a parade, and finally, fireworks.

Christmas prep is hard work.  Good thing my kids are troupers..

Preparations....  Decorating the tree, shining up the house...

Glow at the Gardens...  Lights and lines and really splendid Gingerbread houses...  A quick trip this year with children too tired to linger-- but beautiful nonetheless..

Adventures in decorating:  Ivy likes to gather all the things together.  Kind of randomly. In circles.   I think they are having a party...

And have I mentioned all the cookies???  The kids take it quite seriously and honestly, they could be a lot messier.  They are learning well...

Jack was very excited to visit the History Museum with his class (Nat chaperoned).  We are at this museum probably once a monty-- but its so different with your friends, right?  Not much cuter than a group of over-excited second graders...

A birthday party with our friends...  Ellie turned four and it was a great excuse to gather our Hiram crew and their offspring for cocoa and conversation while the children made a mess of the house.  Our usual, right?

Second Sunday Soup returns!  More gathering, conversation, mess making.  It was a splendid soup, really, a full house, two great soup choices, and more cookies than you can shake a stick at-- all illuminated softly by candles and tree lights.  These days, our children run upstairs in large groups and get up to no good, all on their own, while we sit and talk.  How did they get so big? ?

Puppy-sitting!  The wonderful Louis came to stay this week and our children have fallen for hiim, hard.  He's a sweetie, a wiggly velveteen bundle of enthusiasm who is a great snuggler when he's tired..

  Gymnastics show!  We have all enjoyed our Thursday routine these past 6 weeks-- an hour and a half of activity for the kids, time to talk with our friends while we wait, then dinner as a group at McDonald's after.  Our friends Max and Sam ride to Mcdonalds in the van with Jack, Ivy and Nat.  It's a thing.  Ivy calls it the "party van."  We may have to sign up for another session just for that.

I love these two pictures-- our little ones, so big, so independent in the world, making friends and being so at ease over there without us.  It is amazing  how this has happened.  I blinked and there they were, away from me.  So little still, but so big.  Real people, brave and strong and silly and gorgeous.
It's hard not to love them madly, standing there watching them show off somersaults (Ivy) and handstands (Jack) and then stand, so proud, arms up, smiles on, facing the world head on.