Last year Alice was about 18 months old this time of year–still a baby in my eyes.
This year she is two-and-a-half. There are no more babies in Sluiter Nation, and unless something goes wrong, we are all done having babies in Sluiter Nation. And at two-and-a-half, Alice is totally starting to “get” the holidays.
I love this age.
For all of my kids, really. The Holiday Magic is very real to all of them at 8, 5, and 2.
I remember just before we had Eddie, the holidays had started to lose something for me and I couldn’t figure out what. Now with three kids who could barely contain all the excitement in their small bodies as we put up the Christmas tree and they had to wait for their turn to put on ornaments, I know what was missing.
The Magic.
They actually hugged each other and squealed with delight as I put up on the lights–something that makes me have to bite my tongue because it’s so frustrating.
When I handed each kid their ornament box, they practically vibrated with magic as they took the lid off and shifted through their personal ornaments.
The boys ooo-ed and ahhh-ed as they tried to remember each one.
Alice told me all of them were pretty, and danced while she brought them to the tree.
Each of them is already almost over-filled with the holiday magic.
And it’s both intoxicating and contagious in the best possible ways.
May the magic infect you as well, my friends.
