Okay. I’m leaving for the big in-law dinner in the burbs any second now, but I want to share one little idea. I’m proud of this one.
Get your kids to make wrapping paper by drawing on craft paper! This makes the little one’s feel involved and is so very sweet and it’s eco-friendly to boot.
Also, I’m learning that being Santa is as much work as it is fun. But it brings back that old Christmas-y excitement of my childhood and I love being a mom at this time of year.
Merry, merry Christmas! I’ll be back in a couple days with the post-game analysis.
Growing up, we always got a real tree, but never more than one week before Christmas. (And often not more than a day or two before.) There was, therefore, a long-standing tradition of scrambling around, from one parking lot to the next, searching for any remaining trees. My husband and I have more or less carried on that tradition, but without the luxury of a vehicle, since we’ve been married.
So when my mother-in-law asked whether we wanted to drive out of the city and cut down our tree this year, I was skeptical. It was more than two weeks early, and I just didn’t know what Christmas tree hunting will be like without that special holiday desperation in the air. Figuring that it’s only fair for my husband to get to indulge in his childhood holiday traditions (no matter how predictable the outcome) from time to time, I acquiesced. And it was okay.
The tree farm was a good hour’s drive from the city core, and the smallest tree starts at $45. But our tree is beautiful and Colum got to spend the better part of a day getting it. Driving into the “country”, trudging through the snow, “helping” Grandpa saw the tree down, and watching the farm worker truss it makes for a real experience. Whether searching the city streets or choosing a tree to cut down, the point is to make a true occasion out of it.
Post Script: We have decorated our tree now, and the ornamentation is delightfully bottom heavy. At one point there were five shiny balls all hanging from one branch. They have since been dispersed during the daily ornament shuffle, and I’m predicting at least a few will turn up during spring cleaning.
I’m going to have to keep holiday hours in the coming weeks here at Playground Confidential. Christmas is approaching and my weekends and evenings are full of festive obligations. I’m also picking up extra shifts to help staff company parties and pay Santa’s bills. (It’s amazing how quickly a 19-month old grasps the idea of a fat bearded man in a red suit arriving via reindeer-drawn sleigh to bring him presents.) I will try to post as often as possible because I’m sure there will be lots of holiday-fueled topics I’ll be eager to write on. I probably won’t be able to mix in as many longer, thoughtful posts as I would normally. And who has time to read more than a paragraph or two at this time of year anyway!
(Picture courtesy of www.lycos.co.uk)
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