A Different Christmas

We've had some unusual Christmases the past 10 years or so, some of them related to my work schedule, some related to folks being scattered and not able to all be together.  We've enjoyed what we had to work with though, and this year is probably the strangest of all.

We celebrated early in Snoqualmie from Thanksgiving to the early part of December.  I'm not sure why I don't have more pictures, but we had a small gift opening night before we left to come home.  Graysen and Katherine both got dolls, but Graysen kind of wanted both of them to be hers.  It was hard for her to understand why Katherine would need a baby doll since she's still a baby.  She'll get used to sharing soon - or maybe not too soon!

Katherine got some new big-girl pajamas and was ready to play.

Hmmm.  No way that marker is going to be shared.

I think there is a brief consideration of decorating baby feet here.

 This was going to be a hug because who can resist a squishy baby in pink pajamas?



I think Katherine did one of those inexplicable baby backward leaps to fend off that hug - not really sure what happened here but nothing dangerous.  Just another move in the sister interaction dance that's just starting.

Graysen came downstairs every morning newly fascinated by the tree standing in the living room.  She would reach for the remote on the desk and magically turn the lights on with a flourish.  Then she would put the remote to her ear like a phone and have a brief conversation before she put it back.

She did pretty well with the ornaments she was allowed to touch, usually very gentle - but they were completely impossible to resist touching.  I found a little snowman ornament in her hand when I tucked her in for her nap one day.  She said, "I'll just sleep with it."

It's funny how adults decide what animal is associated with a baby's personality.  Very early in Graysen's life, she seemed to have a lot of fox-related things - in her nursery, on her clothing, in her books and toys

- and she started getting fox ornaments for Christmas last year.  Aunt Kathy and Uncle Alan always pick the best ones, and here  is one ready to go on the tree.

I'm going to request more Christmas pictures in the next few days.

Meanwhile, back in Alabama, it seems a lot like springtime with all the rain and tornadoes.  We're listening to thunder rumble right now, and the temperatures are supposed to reach the low 80s in the next few days.

I enjoyed my last Alabama haircut yesterday and again will miss Donna so much.  Mama and I never seemed to land in a particular beauty shop here and changed as our beauticians changed or as we just needed a change.  I wish Donna and Jaclyn's shop had existed all those years.  Our friend Amanda recommended the shop, and Donna was the one who had an opening.  From the very first, she cut my hair just exactly like I wanted it and listened to my frustration about how to "go gray" without a drastic change.  We're gradually getting there, and she promised to talk to my new beautician if I wanted her to and give her the "recipe."  She has a become a friend I can talk to, and the whole atmosphere of the shop is upbeat and happy.  No whispering or gossiping among the workers, no mean looks or hints of disagreement caught in the mirror among the staff.  Just a clean, efficient, and well-run place.  I'm not sure they need advertisement because they're always running over with customers, but they have my endorsement!

Mike and I have a project we started yesterday.  It's really MY project, but when I told him what the stakes were, he decided to get on board.  I've kept a set of bunkbeds in attics and basements throughout the years - doll bunkbeds.  They're the ones Elise and Emily played with when they were little, and I was one day going to redo them for granddaughters if we had any.  When I talked with Graysen about Mimi and Pop pop's new house in Snoqualmie, I mentioned that we would have 2 doll beds for them to play with.  When I talked to her last week, Emily had just told her that Mimi and Pop pop were coming to live in their house in Snoqualmie.  Her first words were, "And there will be 2 doll beds in Mimi and Pop pop's house."  Oops.  Time to get busy.

Mike had taken them apart for moving, so that makes it easier to work with.  He sanded yesterday and went and bought some white paint.  We're not getting real creative now; we'll go just simple to start with.  I might add some trim later or paint the spindles a different color.  What looks like orange in this picture is really some red tape that trimmed all the posts once.  That's where I'll add some color later.

I made the mattresses last night, which consisted of using leftever carpet padding and the original board mattress.  Those eighties dolls didn't have nice soft mattresses.  I covered the padding with a stretchy fleecy fabric - just made a pillowcase type thing and will sew up the ends today.  It worked nicely.

I got this fabric - and some in light green - at Joann Fabrics and have used it to line bibs and blankets and burp cloths.  I wouldn't mind having a blanket made from it myself.  Those dolls should be very comfortable.

I plan to make 2 pillow, 2 pillowcases, 2 sheets and 2 comforters.  I'm glad we were forced to go ahead and get it done.  A stormy day is perfect for projects - and that taco soup and cornbread I'm about to start.