It’s now 2 days after Christmas, but I still haven’t left our property. I’m holding onto this Christmas feeling for as long as I can. It feels magical here on the farm: snow, ice skating on the pond, pulling the boys through the woods in sleds and cooking hot chocolate on the outside fire with the neighbors.
Cassidy made this great Christmas cake. She’s wearing a mask here because she was in quarantine until Christmas eve morning. Then we could all kiss her and she didn’t have to eat dinner in her bedroom anymore.
The boys got festive with enormous cookie decorating. (Thanks Mum!) And they also really enjoyed making the gingerbread man’s screaming sound affects when they both ate their cookies. I think that’s as peaceful as Christmas baking could get here.
Even our cat, Conductor, thought to frame himself! Now that’s the whole family getting into the Christmas spirit.
Christmas Eve…..
I know this picture below is an unusual one to add, but it has a Christmas story that accompanies it…..I was sitting by our pristine pond getting ready to go on the ice, when I discovered this mummified rat in my left skate. I guess it wasn’t much of a story. It seemed worth noting though.
Here below is a picture of the making of the pizzelles. It was cold in the bansch, but it left the house not getting fumed out by burning butter. What I like about this picture is how comically close we are to getting this wood stove hooked up – notice the gap to the chimney.
We knew the boys wouldn’t have lasted if we walked to deliver the pizzelles to all the neighbors. So we drove, but even then, Hugo never made it out of the car to say happy Christmas to anybody and was fast asleep by the time we came home. Ishmael seemed in his element ringing doorbells and talking peoples’ ears off about any random thought that popped into his head.
Here we are heading back into the house. Cassidy is holding Hugo and Paxy is holding a flag in front of his face that reads, “Paxy” (just in case he needed any introduction).
Presents? Legos of course. I got Cassidy a book that I knew she would get into. We just about didn’t see her for the rest of the day. So no pictures. Not even one of her showing off said book. She came out for the walk to the Abby, but cut out early to get back to the book. She told me the next day that she stayed up until at least midnight to finish. Boxing day was book 2 and I’m confident she will be done with all 5 before school starts up again.
Here below is the calm after the storm. Comic books on bean bags with your own personal packages of goldfish crackers from Aunt Diane.
On Christmas is snowed all day and our home felt extra inviting because of it. The outside was so beautiful. Here’s a picture of the Abby. We played in the layers and layers of paper-thin ice that form because of tidal river water. Under the ice, the mucky marsh at the side of the river moved like thickened jello. It was a crazy and fun landscape to walk around on.
The day after Christmas, Cassidy and I got rid of the snow that had accumulated on our little pond. Corban, Wesley and Daniel came over with all of their parents and we played on the ice before hot chocolate around the fire by the tree house. I have no pictures of this. By the time we all tumbled back into the house (except for Cassidy who couldn’t leave her room because of book 2) we were happy to have a good Christmas movie – How to Train Your Dragon.
I hope we get to do it all over again next year.
Our Family in Maine 
I doubted that what I was seeing was indeed a dead rat until I saw wiskers on it. It must have wanted a sheltered spot to calmly leave this earth and found the skate. Interesting how nature works. Even so, I am happy you were able to use the skate without upset.
LikeLike