Christmas Crafts (at Grandma's of course)

We are in high craft season. That is what we like to call the time between Halloween and Valentine's Day at my mom's. Ellie loves it. Every Sunday one of her first comments is usually around a craft. Are we doing one? What is it? If we are not, why not and when? I've said this before - but it is such a great thing my mom does for us. We all have fun, everyone participates, we laugh a ton and just enjoy being together.

In December we made sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and of course our traditional gingerbread (graham-cracker) houses.

My mom is a busy lady. She runs around with stuff all day long that needs to get done. Craft day is no exception. She usually gets everything prepared and set out for all of us and then she continues doing things around the house and frequently checks back in for the craft. We were cracking up for one picture because she came back to help make the cookies - but to make it look like an uninterrupted "action" shot she grabbed the knife in her fist. The clean knife none the less. Uncle Cracker (yes, he is white, but I was referring to the fact that he cracks jokes) made a joke about it and I almost couldn't stop laughing to take the picture. I'm glad she can just laugh along. We love her and her busy ways. The picture of her and Ellie is actually a real action shot. It is Ellie dumping all of the red crystals on one cookie and her trying to keep in on the counter.





On gingerbread house day - my mom once again got everything out but then said we also had to get her hair colored. (So that is why the picture with the towel.) I didn't realize this post would be so much about my mom - but as craft day is her day - I need to tell another story. But first a little about my mom, I LOVE my mom. She is so fantastic. Everyone that knows her loves her. She is generous and kind and giving and makes everyone around her feel welcome and good about themselves. She is generous with compliments and does not need anything in return. She is a true Christ-like example of service and love. She is strong. She is a true mother - she never stops trying to make her kids happy. She still teaches and prods and helps along the way. For this reason, Jed (uncle cracker) gave her the nick name of MadDog, with which she has become enamored.


She is also tidy and clean. Jed and I were getting food coloring out and I spilled some on the counter. She was out of the room busily getting something else and it was like we were kids again. Jed looked and me and I looked at him and we were like - oh no! So I hurried and got some 409 and we both started working on the freshly red counter. Just in time we got it off - but we both had red stains on our hands. We just started laughing and Uncle Cracker in good form said, "We almost got caught red handed." I honestly have so much fun on craft day.


Ellie loaded the top of her gingerbread house with skittles and ate them all December long. We told my mom her house looked like it had a landing strip for reindeer so Ellie also told my mom all December long that she needed to add some reindeer. It was on gingerbread house Sunday (after eating much candy) Ellie bit down on something hard and realized her second tooth was loose!



I think Ellie likes the crafts - but I really think Ellie enjoys that we are all together. She loves when we are doing something together that she also enjoys. She loves when we all play along. Which made me think of two times just like that outside of craft day.

We had my mom and Jed over for the U of U bowl game. We made treats and had dinner. The entire game Ellie was trying to get my mom and Jed to do something other than watch the game. She loved that everyone was here, but wanted everyone to play games or do something she enjoyed. When the game was over, my cute family played along and we all got on a chair that Ellie had set out and climbed aboard the "train." Ellie was the conductor and lead us in song and along the track. It's so fun to be a kid sometimes.

I can't remember which day it was in December but we were at my mom's and Ellie wanted all of us to play 'Button-Button Who's Got the Button.' She gets better and better at being discreet. I don't know what it was about this day, maybe everyone was just more relaxed and into playing - but it was the most fun game of Button-Button we have ever played. We, once again couldn't stop laughing and just enjoyed being together.

I love this about craft day and I'm glad Ellie does too. I'm glad Ellie creates moments for us outside of craft day and I'm glad my family is great enough to play along.