Stitching with Elli

It is December!! Officially time to reasonably be thinking about Christmas. It has been cooler at night so we have had a fire.

There is nothing like a fire in a fireplace for helping you think deep thoughts. Or even to just stare at the flames and be contented with life.

Last night several of the dolls were discussing that it was about to be December. Some of them have celebrated Christmas before. Josefina said Christmas was the first thing she remembered, actually. Some of the other dolls have never experienced it. Debbie was very enthusiastic about making sure they celebrated Christmas right. She was the ring leader in organizing a Christmas reading party.  They put on Christmas dresses and pulled out a huge pile of Christmas books to “Study”.

Ellen, however would not put on a Christmas dress…she said it wasn’t time yet. Debbie argued the point by saying if they stayed up until midnight then it would be December!

“I’m not changing my dress at midnight. That is just silly.” was Ellen’s no nonsense reply.

Ellen found a book about a doll at Christmas time “Tilly’s Rescue”. Apparently it was fascinating, because she disappeared behind the book. No noise except for the sound of turning pages was heard from her.

“Felicity! Your book is on top of my book. I can’t turn my pages!!” Debbie fussed.

“Oops! Sorry! but just look at this!! Mr. Willowby bought a Christmas tree. It didn’t fit so he had to cut  off the top,  and then someone else gets the top and THEY  have to cut it off to fit in their house…and THEN someone else gets it and cuts it off….and it keeps going!!!”

“Who is the last one to get it?” asked Debbie, curious.

“I’m not sure yet…maybe a rabbit?” replied Felicity. Debbie was very curious  now . She joined Felicity in reading her story.

Bonnie, in the mean time, was showing Emma her book. Emma was very impressed with the pictures and said it was beaaautiful! She declared that they were much prettier pictures than her book “Tomahawks and Trombones”. Her book made up for the pictures not being quite as pretty by being a fascinating story. After all, you wouldn’t think tomahawks and trombones had anything to do with Christmas now, would you? but they do!

“Wait until you see the book I found!!”called Alice as she pushed the book up in front of her before climbing up into the chair with her cousins.

“It is illustrated by Tasha Tudor!” she told them excitedly.

Soon the other two books were pushed to the side. All three of them were ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over the lovely pictures.

“Is that a wreath? Why is it hanging from the ceiling like that?” asked Bonnie.

They discussed it for a while and decided it looked very festive. They would have to ask Emily if they could have one like that this year.

Felicity and Debbie had finished “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree” and had moved on to looking at Debbie’s book which was also by Tasha Tudor.

Felicity noticed that Ellen had finished her book.

“How was Tilly’s rescue? what book are you reading now?” she asked Ellen.

“It was very interesting. Tilly was friends with a Teddy bear she had to help rescue. I’ve never met a teddy bear before. I wonder what it would be like to have one as a friend?”

“Would they bite? Are teddy bears hostile?” asked Debbie innocently.

Ellen didn’t think so, she said usually they looked very friendly.

Felicity then reminded Ellen she had asked about the book she was reading now.

“Oh, it is called The Christmas Magic- Wagon but there isn’t anything magic about it. They are just giving presents to all their friends at Christmas time.”

Felicity asked if she could read it after Ellen, because the pictures looked interesting.

It was getting late, and I was heading to bed. The dolls begged to stay up until midnight reading. I told them it was all right as long as they were quiet and didn’t disturb anyone that was trying to sleep.

I said goodnight and went to bed.

Later, I was awakened by little bounces on the bed and little hands shaking my shoulder gently.

“Emily, Emily….Merry Christmas!!!” I foggily heard Felicity’s little voice telling me.

Then I heard Debbie who sounded a little anxious “That didn’t disturb you did it? Ellen said it would be disturbing. I said it was always nice to tell someone Merry Christmas. We wanted to be the first to tell you that it was December since you have big plans for blog in December.”

I looked at the clock and  it was 12:10 am…..There were several things I thought about saying. But, I refrained from dashing their hopes, because they thought they were doing something fun and nice. I just said, “No I’m not disturbed. Thank you and Merry Christmas to you too. Can we go to sleep now?”

All smiles, they jumped off the bed and went to bed themselves.

And that was how our December started 🙂 I think this shall be a exciting month.

Do any of you have a favorite Christmas book? Reading Christmas stories was one of my favorite things to do in December  when I was young.