It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

The snow has been coming down quite heavily all morning, the radio is tuned to Christmas music*, and I have been madly knitting on a Christmas present. I figured out a work-around for snagging some knitting time when Bug is around. We shall call it "artful misdirection." I had sneaked out the chain mail armor to work on at the dining room table while Bug and Bean were playing in the living room. Of course, they got interested in what Mama was doing and it went something like this:

Bug: Ooooh...pretty shiny yarn!
Me: Hmmm? Oh yes, it is!
Bug: Whatcha making?
Me: Um...er...I haven't really decided for sure yet.
Bug: Is it another shawl?
Me: Well, it could be.
Bug: Oh.

So now I have carte blanche to keep knitting, whenever. Well, as long as it is vaguely rectangular. I will have to find some private time for seaming up and finishing, but that will be relatively shorter.

I am now just a couple of rows from being done with the front:

The back should go quick, as it is just like the front, except no neck shaping (which you can't see in the picture as I wanted to keep it vaguely shawl looking while I took a picture.)

The kids are enjoying the snow by pitching a tent in the living room and camping out. The tent is right in front of a sliding glass door, so from the dining room table, it actually kind of looks like they are out in the elements, since the Christmas tree is right next to the tent door and there is snow falling in the background.

And, since it has been a while, some gratuitous kid pics. First up, Beeb with a case of ferocious bed-head yesterday morning:

It takes a certain je ne sais quoi to pull off a 'do like that, but I think the Beeb manages it. You can't see the fine fuzzies in the flash picture that is in focus. C'est la vie. (Not a clue where all the French is coming from today....maybe I am channeling Maurice Chevalier...complete wizz ze Frohnch ahk-zent). Yep, seem to have lost control of the neuroses again. Rats.

Next up is Bean, eating a ice-pop while it snows.

Yeah, I know...whatever.

Finally, Bug hamming it up for the camera:

No, the picture isn't rotated. He was.

* Ooo-oo-oo. My mostest, favoritest Christmas song just came on the radio: The Little Drummer Boy duet with David Bowie and Bing Crosby. Their sounds are so different, but blend together so well and it has an old favorite carol with a different twist. I just love it.