Holiday Literature

Every year, shortly after Thanksgiving,  my mother would go to the library and bring home dozens of holiday books for my brother and I to enjoy at Christmastime.  I remember getting off the bus and walking through the front door to see our the first five stairs in the house piled ten books high!  Sometimes we would get to them all, sometimes not.  Often we would find a few favorites and to be re read night after night.

Time passed and my brother and I grew old enough to select our own literature.  But mom had acquired a fair number of holiday books of her own.  The new tradition was to display these tried and true classics under the Christmas tree throughout the season.  She still has these books and shares the stories with my own children now.

For myself I have about a dozen Christmas stories that get hauled out after Thanksgiving for a yuletide yarn.  But I wouldn't be my mother's daughter without a big pile of books, stories new and old, borrowed from the library.  Through online holding and inter-library loan I selected over 40 titles.  Of those that I brought home only a few have been added to the list this year deserving a place on the Christmas Favorites Booklist:

Christmas Favorites Booklist:   

Turkey Claus, by Wendy Silvano

The Polar Express, Chris van Allsburg

The Dwarf in the Drawer, L. Van King

Humphrey's First Christmas, by Carol Heyer

Veggie Tales: The Story of Saint Nicholas, by Karen Poth

Mortimer's Christmas Manger, by Karma Wilson

The Christmas Wish, by Lori Evert

The Christmas Story, by Jane Werner Watson

Stonehedge Chorus

126 voices strong, nothing brings out he Christmas Spirit like a children's choir

TBT: Blue Blankie

My boys on the left and my Uncle David on the right no the same crocheted blue blankie.  I didn't use this for my oldest since we had a baby shower and I got lots of new stuff for him, but for my little one it was perfect.  He still snuggles with it at night.  Although it has lost some of its shape and has a few pulls and pills it still brings comfort after all this time.  It makes me happy to hand something down from my uncle, who never had any of his own but 7 nieces and nephews to spoil.  Love you Uncle Dave!

Thanksgiving at the Butchko's

Buffalo Zoo

Room Hacks

I did it again!  These are the Ralley Monkeys bulldozing Miles bed and Puppy reading up on ancient Rome.

Erie Canal Museum Gingerbread Gallery

Death Star

Octagon House                                              Paddington Sta.

The NYS Fair (see the butter sculpture)          

Dojo                                                                      More Fair

Candyland (appropriate)                             Canal Boat

Stonehedge/ Octagon House

I meet with the kids' teachers at Stonehedge and got to snap some pics of Marks artwork hanging in the hallway.  Earlier that weekend we joined some friends for a visit to the Octagon House.