We pressure ourselves to get the best Christmas gifts for our children. We just want them to be excited and happy. Well, guess what? This teacher tells us that what has mattered most to her students is spending time with their parents. And as a retired teacher, I can vouch for her.
Kids want US! They want our attention. They want us to do fun things with them, simple things. Spending time. Cuddling while watching silly Christmas movies. Popping corn. Sledding. Going for a walk. Reading together. Just being together is so special. Without the phone and laptop between us!!
Make traditions of baking, reading special stories each year, playing board games, telling about their yearly ornaments, helping those in need as a family, remembering favorite happenings during the year, attending seasonal concerts, church services, dinners…. there are many ways to be with your children. If you are completely worn out from shopping, and cranky about spending too much money, you won’t even feel like spending time with them. And to our children, spending time together matters. And it doesn’t cost a thing.
Here’s to a Christmas season FULL of making memories and spending time together, connecting with each other, not the internet.
Several years back, my first Christmas as a single mom with my closest family members nine hours away was difficult, to say the least. By the next year, with a bit of experience, my coping skills had improved.
On Christmas day, I booked a room at a hotel in a wonderful touristy town close to us. We pretty much had the place to ourselves!
We ate Christmas dinner with many others at a German-style restaurant–one of the most popular in Michigan. Doing so gave me a sense of family, and the whole experience was festive.
Afterward my children swam until they were exhausted, I read a bit and relaxed, there was a lot of laughter and my children felt very special (it was our first overnight in a hotel together–ever!).
Making these plans to help us through a very difficult time was one of the best decisions I’ve made. As part of the “package” we shopped at the world-famous Bronner’s where each of us chose two ornaments to remember our special time.
My friend Lani Catherine has written some ways to help alleviate the “blues” at Christmas, and they are good ones. Take a peek at her post as a resource for yourself or a friend. I’m going to save it to revisit next year.
This post was actually drafted in December last year and saved . I decided to post it anyway, although things have changed a bit.
For the last several days, I have really enjoyed reading blogs from some amazingly creative women. Women like me who have children, love to decorate, lead a busy life, and who like to write. Well, I like to write, but don’t feel especially inclined to do it right now, except that this did turn out quite wordy. 🙂
This is an old frame with a chalkboard paint insert. I attempted to write something fitting on it with chalk, but wasn’t pleased with the results for this display. After looking through all the things I’d accumulated, I ended up spray painting this wooden angel I’ve had for years, adding the tiny candle ring, some greenery and ribbon to create this, which I feel is perfect, especially grouped with the old window angel card display that I will show you next entry. (Sorry, you just have to wait.)
You see, I am just enjoying being. Being in my cozy, tiny home, being with my kids…even though they spend tons of time in the basement doing their own thing. (I grab a hug and kiss every time they adventure upstairs to the bathroom. There’s just something about touching and smelling them…) Oh yes, where was I? Being…a lazy slug, staying inside and looking at the snow. Listening to really good tunes, reading, and ADHD tasking (in case you need a definition, that is where I start one thing, go to another before it’s finished, then another one in the middle of that one, and back to the first–“Oh yeah, I was doing this”–and then on to another). It’s amazing that I get anything accomplished, but surprisingly I do! Ever have times like that? You should see me “doing crafts” or anything that requires paper, glue, glitter, ribbon, etc. Mercy!!
While enjoying blogs from so many vintage-loving people, I realized I’ve already collected some great items. This is an old small-bottle crate I used outside this summer as a plant stand. I wanted to create a somewhat rustic display with it. Using the old-fashioned heart cookie cut-outs worked great because they reflect the light from the candles (battery operated flameless ones). I spray painted the star gold to reflect the light also. Added some ribbon and floral picks, two wooden angels from my collection, a wire snowflake, and voila! Love it at the top of my stairs.
My brain is so full of great ideas, and things I want to do. My big excuse is that my house is so tiny. I know that is not really a good excuse (how about that I feel pretty tired, don’t want to make a mess in the middle of my 400 square foot living space?) but it does pretty much govern my craftiness. Some day I will have a spot to do it all and leave it a mess while in process. I am determined!!
I will start looking for a new home (I currently rent) in May. And, if God does indeed fulfill the desires of my heart, it will have a room I can call my own. 🙂
And until then I will just keep on believin’.
Update: In May of this year-2013- I moved into the house of my dreams. And yes, I do have a room of my own. I love how God loves us!
Two days, and it will already be over. I hate to see Christmas come to an end. I absolutely love this time of year. After this, it’s all a bit anti-climatic. But, ahead of us is a new beginning, a “clean slate” to borrow a cliche. And Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and on through the year. And in ten-ish months, I can decorate again! Oh, how I’ve loved decorating this year. I’m thankful to be at it again, after a long, somewhat “dry” period.
One of the things I truly enjoy every year is taking out the items my children have made throughout their elementary school years. Our tree is laden with their school-made ornaments and it is delightful!
The cinnamon-applesauce ornaments on the right were made by my daughter in 4th grade. I love how this little vignette turned out. And…
this cute little log candle holder she made last year in 5th grade. I added a little white bird and a “joy” ornament to fill in, only because to me “more is better”, but I just love it as it was, too.
And me? In seventh grade, I made the paper mache angel on the right and gave it to my parents for Christmas. I think she lost her wings somewhere during the last 48 years. Or maybe I didn’t give her any. Anyway, again, I love the things made by kids in school.
How cute are these? Funny thing, I remember when our school (I taught there for 31 years and my children attend there now) ran out of the “real” green paper, and we had to use this ugly, faded green for our Christmas projects. Ugh! And here we have, captured forever, art project Christmas trees that will revive that memory for me. How funny!
I had been married for 21 years, never birthed a child, and at age 48 my son came to enrich our lives. My daughter came the next year, just before Christmas. I can say that they have truly blessed my life–and….turned it upside down, changed me totally, and set me on this roller-coaster adventure called life. And they have forever stamped their signature all over my Christmas.
I really did. To take the kids someplace, just to get outside, away for a while. But my little home is a Christmas Wonderland, and I am quite reluctant to leave it. I guess I’ve made it too cozy, if that’s possible. Well, I guess it’s possible because I don’t want to ever leave.
And guess what? I don’t have to. I am the captain(ess) of this ship, and I decided to dock it for a while and just relax. Remember that word? Re-lax. Not to be confused with “be lax”, which connotes not doing my job. Sometimes relaxing IS my job. (Jump back Jack, lightening is gonna strike!) And lately I’ve become accepting of my desire to do so.
For many years, I ran like crazy. Constantly going, doing, organizing, caring for, working etc. I got pretty worn out. And that was before I adopted children! I still do all of those things, but to a lesser degree. Took me several years to not feel guilty if I decided to read a book all day. I would remind myself that I’d worked really, really hard for over 40 years, and was often still working hard now. So it was ok if I wanted to sit all day. Strange that I’d think I needed to validate my guilty pleasure of reading.
But you see, my mama was always tearing around. In fact my whole family lived a very full, busy, often exhausting calendar. Especially around Christmas. Daddy was a preacher, mama a teacher, and we were all involved in musical programs in school and church. Barely had time to breathe.
So right now, right here, I am soaking up the season. Listening to Christmas music. Delighting in having my children close by. Gazing at the lights. Creating decorations. Enjoying the vintage items surrounding me with their stories of my past and my family. Oh, life is just so good!
Mimi
