This is a picture of my children with a spellbook, discovering a pair of underpants upon which they will cast a flying spell–from The Two Brothers and the Amazing Flying Underpants.

And this is what the pre-K classroom looks like before the children and teachers go home for the weekend and the animals reveal their true natures–from Chalupa Charlie and the Great Pre-Kaper.

Every year for Christmas (well, except for the year of the Horrible Job), I make a picture book for both of my boys.  As I’ve been attempting to percolate a blog post over the past few days, I’ve realized that this process has completely devoured all my creativity.  So, instead of thoughtful, angsty and overwrought musings on interconnectedness, mortality, and chickens, I cop out and offer you a glimpse into what is currently eating my brain.  Now you know that my preferred medium is crayon and I cannot draw the human hand to save my life.  Happy and blessed holidays to you, and may your new year dawn untainted by the perils of enchanted underwear or the vagaries of escape-artist chinchillas.