A shift in Santa's Workshop!

Julia really enjoyed the baking and crafting this Christmas. Once the shopping was done, we were able to devote our time to making gifts for family and friends. These mason jar cookie concoctions were made for her teacher and for our dear day care workers at the Before and After school program. 

Once upon a time, I used to craft something each Christmas for my nieces and nephews. It started with their stockings for their first Christmas in Sarnia, and the last one was painted mirrors for their bedrooms in 2003, the Christmas before Julia came. I had seen the idea for these little snowmen and suggested to Julia that we make them for her cousins and fill them with red & green m&ms. 

She was very excited about this project, and loved playing secret Santa, getting them organized for the stockings when everyone arrived on Boxing Day. Great care was given in deciding which cousin would like which snowman face.

My favorite Christmas activity has always been the baking, whether it is baking for my ladies' group cookie exchange or for gifts for our family and friends or the gingerbread for with the cousins - I love it all. Many of us get great comfort from the rituals of Christmas, and this is special one for me. I love putting on the Christmas music, enjoying the lights of the tree, while I stir, cut, sample the holiday treats. Needless to say, I love that Julia loves the tradition of holiday baking as well.  No surprize that she asked Santa for an Easy Bake Oven this year.

One of Julia's jobs was to crush the candy canes for our holiday fudge (recipe courtesy of my dear friend, Eleanor) as well as the Ritz crackers for our Skor Squares (thanks to my sister, Carmel for this crowd pleaser).

I am struck by how young Julia looks in these photos - so many of the pictures I take of her lately show me a face of a girl looking older than her years. She's growing so fast - too fast - so I'm glad these shots capture a bit of my little girl.