december was a blur, an unseasonably warm and seasonably busy blur. i baked more and knitted more than i ever have. i wrapped fewer gifts and traveled fewer miles than i ever have. we did our best to stay home and be in the moment and it worked, mostly. we started new traditions for our little family, like christmas at the zoo. we took annie to chicago to see the lights which is something i did as a little girl and couldn't wait to do with a family of my own. we did it and it was just as lovely as i had hoped. with each week, i stayed up increasingly late, trying to finish one more row, one more project, one more thing. part of me wishes i didn't do that but part of me knows i couldn't do it any other way. it's a part of me that i can't escape. we got dressed up and went to a christmas party and it reminded me that i really do love dressing up (but only once in awhile). we celebrated christmas three times over with our families. cam built a kitchen on christmas eve while i filled her stocking. she doesn't quite understand santa claus yet, of course, but it is still so magical. more magical to me now than when i was little, even. she came down the stairs on christmas morning, groggy still and unsure she was ready to be awake, and as her kitchen (!) and presents (!) came into sight, she whispered 'me.' and then louder 'me.' and then 'ME! ME! ME!' i gave cameron a wrapped, halfway finished, still on the needles scarf. lucky for me, he's of the understanding kind. we made christmas dinner right out of martha stewart's kitchen. we both decided it was maybe our best work yet. i've spent most of this last week pushing the to-do list of december 2011 aside and trying to make a clean slate for 2012. december really is the busiest time of year and though i love it dearly, i am ready for a big january exhale. that is, after i ready myself for a certain one year old to turn two on sunday. ahem.