The Colors of Christmas

As an adult I've developed a Christmas tradition that I love.  Coloring.  With crayons.  In a coloring book.

Years ago, I spent the holiday season with a wonderful friend, who shared this tradition with me.  Each year she would buy a Christmas coloring book and a jumbo box of crayons.  And she would try to complete the entire coloring book that season.

Well, I have not been nearly so successful.  This could be because I bought a Jumbo Coloring Book.  But this is the 11th year with my Christmas coloring book.  It lives in a box I created, covered in Christmas fabric and complete with a two BIG bags of crayons.  Each year I pull it out and color.  And I invite all my friends and family to color, as well.

Coloring is therapeutic.  Coloring inside or outside the lines, using traditional colors or making Santa bright pink; and even making Santa a little cheeky or inappropriate... it's all fair game. 

Well this year I was extremely excited to introduce the Bean to the world of Christmas coloring.  And you know what?  It went over pretty well, I must say. 

Of course, she loved the big ziploc bag that the crayons came in.  And of course, pouring all the crayons all around her happened right away.

Then she got to touch the crayons.  New and fun and colorful!  Wow!

 

 But I don't think anyone prepared her for just how yummy crayons would be.

And the coloring book itself... awesome!  Pages to turn and crumple!  Lots of colors already there!  What great fun! 

I even let her color her own page.  Of course, it was assisted coloring.  I'm not sure if she realized the crayon she was holding was making marks as I helped her move her hand.  She was more interested in putting them in her mouth.  But still...  I now give you Cora's first ever work of art.  And in my own Christmas coloring book. 

Now I feel like it's really and truly Christmas.  And once I'm done with this post, I'll color my own first picture of the year.

I wonder if we'll ever finish this coloring book.  But either way, it's a tradition that I love and adore.  And I'm excited to share it with my girlie.