Christmas
The big day has come and gone, leaving satisfied children in its' wake. The holiday was very nice for us all. Christmas Eve I worked in the morning, and came home just after lunch. We visited for a while, then got ready for church. Brian surprised me by dressing himself, in little beige cords, a blue button down shirt with beige and black in it, and a little black tie! What a handsome boy I have. It showed up his dad, who then had to wear a tie as well (Tee Hee!) I love Stuart in a shirt and tie, but he doesn't put one on very often. What a proud mama I was, sitting there with my lovely family, enjoying the music and reflections on the scripture readings.
After the service, we took a drive through “Candy Cane Lane”, a neighborhood here that really goes all out with the lights. They even string lights back and forth across the street, and it's a magical experience for everyone. Even little Gwenyth got in on the Oooohing and Ahhhhing. We came home to a simple supper, and then each child opened one gift (it's always pajamas). We watched The Polar Express, read for a bit, and sent everyone off to bed. It sounds very peaceful, and would have been, if not for Brian, who was so excited I'm surprised he didn't turn inside out! The poor guy was up at midnight and 3:30am, checking to see if it was time to get up yet, and then all three were on me in bed at 6:00am, ready to get started! It is so much fun watching them, and experiencing the thrill and anticipation through them.
I'm generally not a big one for talking about gifts I receive. I do, of course, about swap packages and such, since that's part of the deal, but there is a part of me that cringes inside when someone asks, “So, what did you get?”. I always want to respond, “What did you give?”, but seldom do. I try to remember, and to teach my own little ones, that we give gifts to remember and celebrate The Greatest Gift ever given, and that when we are opening presents, what we hold in our hands is a symbol of the love that someone feels for us, not just some toy or book. It's hard to focus on this, especially with all the influence around us that is so about The Stuff, but we try.
However, the children this year, did each have one particular gift that really seemed to capture their attention, and it was interesting to see what is was. Katie received an MP3 player, and spent the rest of the day walking around yelling at everyone, since she doesn't get that we can hear her just fine, even if she can't hear herself. Gwenyth was given a baby doll, complete with bottle, hair brush, and her own little teddy. It was so sweet to watch her feeding her dolly, and fixing her hair. My baby is really growing up! Mr. Brian, in true boy form, was fascinated with a dragon toy. It came in a plastic egg, and the parts were enclosed in a slimy kind of sac. Each piece was pulled out of the sac, and then put together. Very cool. I was pleased, though, to see the little ones so impressed with a relatively simple toy. They didn't need the big, fancy sets, or expensive gadgets (Katie, of course, being a Pre-Teen, was taken in by technology, but I was expecting that).
I must share what Stuart gave me! I was touched by his thoughtfulness, his great desire to give me something meaningful and special, even though he doesn't always understand why I enjoy certain things so much. One gift was a basket, containing 3 skeins of Homespun yarn, along with two knitting fiction books. The other was an Ashford Traditional spinning wheel! I'm excited about it, and apprehensive at the same time, about delving so deep into another avenue of fibre. Where on earth am I going to put bags of fleece? I am going for a lesson on Tuesday next week, and am so excited about it! I've been reading up on the internet, but am afraid to touch the wheel until I've had some guidance, in case I wreck it or something. And it looks so pretty standing in my living room!
