Big Girl Bed

Dear Claire,

Recently you have decided your toddler bed is just too small to suit you. You have been wandering into our bedroom to snuggle up in our big bed, or worse - sometimes I go into your room and find you sleeping on your floor! I couldn't take it anymore, so when Pappy came over during Christmas, I made him and Daddy....

...turn your toddler bed into a big girl bed!

Look how much you love it! You crawled right up there with your Halloween pumpkin head (that you have been carrying around lately for reasons only you can know).

Wheeee!

Even Logan loved your new bed. He came in to sleep with you for several nights after we put it up. However, he could not be seen sleeping on the girly, ruffled pink pillow - so he brought his own in!

About a week later I had Daddy add the footboard on. It has probably a hundred little teethmarks in it since it used to belong to your crib. What a stinker you were!

You look so tiny in your great big bed.

Sweet dreams, sweet girl.

Love,

Mama

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

I love to get the house decorated up for Christmas, but even more than decorating the house, I love to decorate the kids! Look how adorable Claire looks in her little gingerbread dress and tights!

Of course Claire has little patience for posing.

"I jumpin'!!"

Super cute in a sparkly Santa hat...

...but it might look even better on Princess Petunia Ballerina!!

Say cheese!

Love,

Mama

Sweet Potato Muffins

Kids,

Sometimes you just want a piece of home, and that never changes no matter how old you are. There are few things that can make you feel more at home, re-living a piece of your childhood, than making one of your family's recipes you've been enjoying since, well, childhood.

Since I'm making an effort to record your childhood, I thought I should probably include some of those recipes, in the hopes that one day you might enjoy them for yourselves down the road. I'm going to start with one of our favorites, sweet potato muffins.

I started making sweet potato muffins for you guys a few Christmases ago when we had an abundance of candied sweet potatoes left over from Christmas dinner. We've been loving these ever since!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together in large bowl:

2 c flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Whisk in another bowl:

2 large eggs

1 c milk or cream

1 c brown sugar

1/4 to 1/2 c butter, melted

1 c cold mashed sweet potatoes (if they're candied it makes them all the better!)

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chopped pecans (optional)

2 tsp orange zest (optional)

Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix together with a few light strokes just until dry ingredients are moistened. Don't overmix! The batter will not be smooth. Divide into muffin cups.

Bake about 17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Love,

Mama

Main Street Christmas Traditions Parade

We are pretty fortunate to live in an area with some neat history. Main Street St. Charles is a downtown area with many buildings that have been preserved since the time of Lewis and Clark's exploration through here.

Every year they have a Christmas Traditions parade on Main Street. This year Logan and I went along with Valerie, Reagan and Cooper to catch the sights.

Here is Logan checking out the horse-drawn carriage.

I'm not too sure if that horse looks happy to be wearing that Santa hat!

Cooper, Reagan and Logan anxiously await the start of the parade!

The Town Crier character leading the Fife and Drum Corps at the start of the parade.

Europe’s long history of declaration began with the first recorded Crier at Great Britain’s Battle of Hastings in the year 1066. Town Criers brought essential news and governmental orders to communities absent of printed materials and overwhelmed with illiteracy.

Dependence on Criers grew throughout Europe and spread to the American Colonies throughout the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The mid 1800’s brought the American Industrial Revolution and the ability to mass-produce newspapers, eliminating the need for the outspoken village Crier.

However, historical romantics will still find the art of proclamation is alive and well in St. Charles. Lend an ear to the Town Crier, who shares important news at the top of every hour of Christmas Traditions.

The Master of Revels

The Master of Revels, or Lord of Misrule, traveled around the city encouraging the people to celebrate and to make merry. Often The Master of Revels would gather people into groups and travel from house to house singing songs, looking for small gifts from the wealthier inhabitants of the village. After a night of drinking and singing the groups were known to become mischievous and partake in small acts of vandalism directed toward those houses unwilling to part with their food or wine.

As Christmas became a more family oriented holiday, the Master of Revels took on a more gentle role. In the Bracebrige Hall stories found in Washington Irving's The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, the Master of Revels is seen as a kindly single man who leads the children in games and song during a town Christmas Celebration.

Clara and the Nutcracker Prince characters from the ballet, The Nutcracker

I can't figure out who this guy is supposed to be, but he's in costume and he looks like he's having fun, so.....

Jack Frost and the Snow Maiden

Jack is an elf from Scandinavian legend who was named Jokul Frosti, meaning Icicle Frost by the Norse Vikings. He is renowned for his artistic talents while sneaking through towns late at night painting beautiful frost designs on windows and over the winter leaves and grass.

Long ago in Russia, Spring and Fall longed for a daughter who could live partially among humans. Out of the snows of Winter, they created the beautiful Snegurochka who tried to live with other children her age, but her heart was made of ice and she could not learn to love.

Taking pity on her, Ded Moroz (the Russian Father Christmas) took pity on her and turned her into a human. Today, all across Russia, Snegurochka and Ded Moroz appear at Christmas together and deliver gifts to good children.

Santa Lucia

Born in 283 in Syracuse Sicily, Lucia was known to bring food and supplies to persecuted Christians hiding underground, wearing a wreath of candles upon her head to light the way.

She was betrothed to a pagan, Paschiasius, but vowed to remain unmarried, wanting to dedicate her life to helping others. Refusing to be married and named a Christian, she was tortured by having her eyes removed and finally martyred. Before the Gregorian calendar reform, Santa Lucia’s feast day fell on the winter solstice, the shortest and darkest day of the year in Sweden, a country she is rumored to have visited in her short life. Today, Swedes continues to honor her as the virtuous bride, bringing joyful light to their dark winter days.

On the morning of her feast day, a daughter in each family dresses in a white robe and delivers sweet rolls (called lussekatt) and coffee to her parents by candlelight.

Scandinavian Santa

In Norwegian countries, like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, children receive gifts from Julenisse, the Scandinavian Santa, and his pet goat Yuley on Christmas Eve.

If you have been good all year long, Yuley knocks his horns against your front door three times. When you come to answer the knock – Julenisse greets you with your gift, and a small paper basket of candy to be hung on your Christmas tree. In exchange, you should have a bowl of porridge ready for them to eat before they continue to the neighbor’s home.

The Scottish Santa

On Christmas eve all the good lads and lassies in Scotland listen carefully for the sound of MacNicolaus' bagpipes announcing his arrival and rush to the door to wish him "Nollaigh Cridheil" or "Happy Christmas!" After Christmas, the real fun begins as the Scots celebrate New Years Eve or "Hogmany."

The New Year's favorite, Auld Lang Syne was written by Scottish poet, Robert Burns as a tribute to this favorite holiday. In fact, Hogmany is such a huge celebration that both January 1st and 2nd are national holidays in Scotland

Civil War Santa

Civil War Santa is the living embodiment of drawings created by Thomas Nast during the war between the states. Nast was a famed sketch artist, born in Germany, but raised in the United States. He drew for Harper's Weekly from 1859 until 1886, and is widely regarded as the grandfather of political cartoons.

During the Civil War, he was particularly outspoken about the abolition of slavery and the reunification of the North and South. Nast drew many pictures for Harper’s depicting Santa Claus and Christmas life of this era, but his first was published drawing of Santa was on January 3, 1863. This classic drawing depicted Santa arriving at a Union camp dressed in stars and stripes and riding in a carriage lead by reindeer.

Frontier Santa

Frontier Santa created special Christmas memories for the brave pioneer families traveling to new homes on America’s wild frontier. These prairie settlers faced many dangers in moving west, and winter was a particularly difficult season for them.

Homes and barns had to be built before the ground froze, and livestock had to be kept healthy for the coming spring. There was a lot of responsibility, even on the children, to help with a variety of chores to keep the homestead running smoothly. Hardworking families rarely had much money or special food left by the time it came to celebrate Christmas, so Santa packed a large bag full of very special, but very modest treats and started walking the snowy plains.

To each good child he came across, he would give a tin cup, a candy cane, a small pieces of fruit, a corn husk doll, and a small sugar cookie. After a challenging time building their new homes, the children were overwhelmingly grateful for the small treasures Santa gave and the opportunity they had to celebrate Christmas as a family.

Father Christmas

On an enchanted white horse, Father Christmas flies over the houses of England on Christmas Eve. He brings presents to be carefully placed under Christmas Trees, and treats to fill fireside stockings.

With a wreath of holly atop his head and a long green robe on his stout frame, he is the embodiment of jovial Christmas cheer embraced by England in the 19th century and is reflected in the 'Spirit of Christmas Present' in Charles Dickens’ famous story, A Christmas Carol.

Pere Noel

All year long, children of France look forward to a visit by Pere Noël (Father Christmas) and his pet donkey, Mistletoe, on Christmas Eve. In preparation, they decorate their homes just like homes in the United States, with fine greenery and a beautiful Christmas tree filled with treasured ornaments.

However, special attention is paid to the creation of the “crèche” (nativity) scene. In French nativity sets, you will not only find figures of Mary, Joseph, sheep and Wise Men, but shop keepers, farmers, fisherman, provincial townsfolk, dogs and cats. These figures representing people and things from all walks of life are called “les santons” (little saints). On Christmas Eve, baby Jesus is added to the crèche and most families gather to eat a large dinner called “Le Reveillon”.

At the end of this feast they serve a special dessert cake decorated to look like a Yule log called “Buche de Noël.” Finally, after bellies are full, and little eyes grow heavy, the family gets ready for Pere Noël. Children fill their shoes with carrots and hay and leave them by the fireplace and a glass of wine is poured to sit beside them.

When the families fall asleep, Pere Noël travels with Mistletoe and an overflowing bag of gifts to each home. He quietly removes the carrots and hay left in the shoes for his friendly donkey, and replaces it with candies and presents for the children. Pere Noël drinks heartily from the wineglass and nibbles on the leftover crumbs from the Buche de Noel dessert before he heads off to bring a Merry Christmas to the next family. Should you ever see Pere Noël in route to France, be sure to wish him a “Joyeux Noël et Bonne Annèe”! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)

Victorian Carolers

The Victorian Santa and Mrs. Claus riding in a carriage.

The lovely Cratchitt characters from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol riding in the trolley. Tiny Tim and Bob are in the second picture.

After the parade, we milled around in the shops and talked to the characters.

Here is Reagan talking to the Sugarplum Fairy from the Nutcracker Ballet

Logan found the Nutcracker Prince and Clara

Logan showing off his cards he collected from the parade characters!

After missing Santa's reading of The Night Before Christmas two, or maybe even three times, the Historical Society put on a special reading just for us! Just think, even a year ago Logan wouldn't go anywhere near Santa. Now he chats him right up!

A little more character card collecting....

Here is the Polar Express Conductor.

Checking out Santa's Trainland. We found out this is one exhibit that won't be back next year, and what a shame. I guess a private couple comes down to share their holiday train collection with the parade goers every year, and the work (not to mention money!!) that they have sunk into this display is pretty remarkable. The pictures don't do this little village and it's three Christmas trains justice!

What a fun day!

Love,
Mama

**Character descriptions taken from here.**