welcome christmas, bring your cheer ...

(photo via Erik Symes)

We spent the weekend switching gears from this ...

To this ...

It all started after school on Friday - little bug had a friend over and they made a gingerbread house ... yum!

We hit the ground running on Saturday morning - it went something like this: parkas, mittens, hats, ice skating lessons, fresh bagels, extra ice time, tree selection at the local nursery, quick wave to the local "Christmas Walk" parade (Santa arrives via lobster boat - see first picture - to greet the locals followed by a parade thru town), hot lunch at home, tree setup, hot chocolate and warm ginger snaps, tree trimming, college football, then a table for four at Fen Yang - chopsticks and all - delicious! We all fell into bed that night, full and happy ...

Sunday brought even more good things: pancake breakfast, the girls set up their Christmas angels (see above photo - the girls' great aunt gives them each a special angel each year for their collection - the one above is the big ladybug's collection, which now has 12 angels since her first Christmas in 1998 ... note Toddy the elf curiously looking on from above), Starbucks run, lunch at home, headed up to my father-in-law's house to set up and trim his tree ... the 4 grandchildren love to do this for him and he happily rewards them with heaping bowls of ice cream afterwards. Then we ended the weekend with what will surely be one of the most special memories of all ... Boston Ballet's Nutcracker ...

Seeing the Nutcracker is a very important part of our holidays each year, we had to miss it one year due to heavy snow on the day of our show and it left a big hole in my heart, the holidays just aren't complete without it! For the last 4 years this tradition has become even more special because my little ladybug has had a close friend and classmate who dances with the Boston Ballet - this year, her friend was a Polichinelle who ran out from under Mother Ginger's skirt. Our seats were only 12 rows back, so we got a wonderful view of her friend, who did an amazing job in a much more demanding role than previous years ... as usual, the Boston Ballet put on a spectacular show from end to end. But for us, the night got even more special when her parents invited us backstage to pick up little ladybug's friend ... what a view ...

And as if the view from the stage wasn't enough of a thrill, we also got to meet the stars of the show and thank them personally for such an amazing evening ... here's my sweet little ladybug with the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince ...

Definitely couldn't have asked for a more amazing weekend ... lucky as a ladybug, I am ... amazingly blessed ...

Welcome Christmas,

Bring your cheer -

Cheer to all Whos far and near.

Christmas Day is in our grasp,

So long as we have hands to clasp.

Christmas Day will always be -

Just as long as we have we.

Welcome Christmas while we stand,

Heart to heart and

Hand in hand.