... thoughts on a wednesday afternoon.

The Ls are out, swim class with Papa, Budster is at day care and the house looks ... like always,
but for some reason I am not feeling up to task (again) and after reading this article about the meaning of giving and materialism of this season I just stopped and started thinking (again).

Yesterday over at SouleMama I read her post about making merry and family traditions, about not commercializing the whole season and that what they will remember is not what they got but what we did ... or as my friend SunInn calls it "Full Immersion Parenting".

Then my thoughts traveled 12 months back when we spent the best xmas this family has ever had away from people, malls, big parties and away from TV, computers, no phone reception and no time keeping.
This last Christmas has been my happy thought for 12 months now and I still keep going back there when things get to hectic and stressful here, in the real world.

Ask my kids what they remember and they'll tell you "reading "the Lion in the Box" with Papa, tea parties with the whole family, sledding, skiing and making the biggest ice ornament ever.
They will not mention the Barbie, well maybe the Barbie (Lulu does love this crap!), but definitely not the Star Wars toy that hasn't left it's toy bin in months.
$100 that could have been saved and spent one another night at Sorenson's or another get away with the family.

Three weeks ago we spent three days in Yosemite, right after Thanksgiving.
We just wanted to get away. Have some time.
We drove there, all stressed and grumpy, there was fighting in the back seat and silence treatment in the front seat.
After spending three days away from the city and it's lights we came back, happy, laughing and much less tense in the shoulders and neck.

There was time to read ...

Time to relax in the HUGE spa tub...

There were channels (after watching the infomercial for the Ninja cooker the Ls insist we buy it since it can cook anything ... there is your sign!) ...

Time for line-ups ...

Time for sister love instead of back seat fights ...

Time to smile instead of death-ray-looks ...

Time to breathe ...

To pose ...

Time to work your muscles ...

Dance in the leaves ...

Just look ...

Time to climb up a water fall ...

Work even harder on your muscles ...

Time to stop and watch in silence ...

Time to put on your cape ...

Time to watch your shadows ...

Time to see in color ...

be in awe ...

Time to wear your cape NAKED!

Time to tickle...
(I do avoid nudity shots in my posts BUT this one had to be posted, for the pure look on my husband's face, laughing his canadian butt off while "spa-ing" with his Ls).

Time to pose ...

Time to fly ...

Tatatatahhhh ....

Time to jump ....

Time to dream ...

  ... and swaddle yourself.

Time for secret messages ...

Time to look up into the blue sky ...

Enjoy the scenery ...

... and never getting tired of its beauty!

This time of the year tends to get so hectic and chaotic.
There are people to see, places to go, things to do ... always something and since its only once a year one MUST do it all! No skipping, no failing.
But then one ends up tired and cranky and everybody else feels the same.

This is NOT what this time of year is all about!
Not at all!

And I tell you, I am a HUGE hypocrite, because we do it too!
Run from here to there, get this and that.
For crying out loud we are only 4 people and this is the stack of xmas CRAP that is in my garage ...

See the PILE of boxes in the back?!
Its insane!
I AM INSANE!!!
What the heck am I doing???

And I did try not to go overboard and not to get too much.
I am preaching it for crying out loud but then there is a sale on craft sets here, a dress for a certain doll that some young lady wished for, a game that looks OH SO fun and, and, and ...

Pat bought a new iPad for the family for xmas today (now this one I approve of, since I get to write posts for my blog from the couch or the hotel room or wherever I am and hopefully this will help me get back into recording our lives much better than I have in the last months/year.)

Plus there is still stuff that hasn't arrived yet.
I read my beloved SouleMama's blog yesterday ...

(something that I haven't done in a long time but due to my newly acquired Arthritis virus I had to stop teaching for a little while until my hands function again without me crunching my teeth in pain and my body can stay awake for more than 2 hours)

... and it started crawling up my spine and when I read the article about "Ditch the stuff" it finally reached my brain.

And here I am sitting, a garage full of STUFF to make sure my kids are extra, super-du-duper happy, way too much money spent and we haven't even left for the cabin trip yet.

Last weekend Pat went skiing with some buddies (some much needed boys time) and the Ls and I had the weekend to ourselves.
We wore PJ's for most of the Sunday, finally made our Gingies and celebrated the 2nd of Advent the way it ought to be celebrated.
We finished the Sunday with going to the BEST Live Nativity Scene I have EVER seen.
We had SO MUCH FUN and I heard the Ls saying "this is the BEST day ever!" over and over again.
We didn't go shopping, they didn't get presents and we had all day to just play.

So simple!
So easy!

Now back to my garage ... I am thinking that all that stuff in these boxes will NOT do what I thought it would.
It will satisfy for a moment, maybe a week or a month but in the long run it will be forgotten, like the Barbie and the star Wars toy from last year.
Laying in a toy bin, played with once in a while ... maybe.

So it has to go back.
YES IT DOES!!!
Not all of it but MOST/ A LOT of it.
And what can't go back will go on the shelf, waiting for a proper moment or a friend's b-day.

And to prove it to me and whoever cares I will interview the family and ask what was the best part of last years xmas and the year before.

And the rest of the 1 1/2 weeks until D-Day will be spent enjoying this most wonderful season of all, finally starting and finishing the handmade gifts I had planned since ... forever, baking and eating cookies, reading xmas books and having fun with Hyder :)

I suck for having given into the commercialism of the season (once again, despite all of my proclamations and dreams of being NOT like this) but I hope I can mend what I have (almost) broken, undo what can be undone and save what can be saved.

Big words, plans and promises for a Wednesday afternoon but holy smokes it hit me like a wall of bricks today ... NO MORE of this!

Its time for the Solstice book and it's wisdom to remind me (us) of what is most precious at this time, really all the time.
For my little Ls will not be little for much longer and the times we spend crafting at the kitchen-table will soon be memories.
So I shall go and soak up every second of these precious moments and while doing so I will learn what matters most, LOVE, FAMILY, HEALTH and FRIENDSHIP!
None of which can be bought, for any amount of money!

Happy thoughts like these (Xmas 2011) ... are priceless!

We are richer than we thought! Aren't we?!

... my thoughts on a Wednesday afternoon.

Addendum @ 8:41 pm

After interviewing the Ls this is what was said:

L LOVED the cabin,

setting up her legos in the hiding space

and Christmas dinner.

Lulu LOVED the cabin,

the tea parties (I knew it!) and

playing with Lillie.

Point made and proven.

And off to the garage I go ...time to pack up all that STUFF and make room and time for MUCH better and more important things!

Tis the season ...

... to be jolly.
Fallalala-ala-la-la.

After the rain had subsided (and the guys had recovered from their failed attempt to leave town for a boys ski trip) we decided to celebrate the 1st of Advent THE RIGHT WAY!

It has has been on my calendar for weeks and I have been dying to go!


Ardenwood Farm invited to their annual "Christmas at Ardenwood".
Celebrate Christmas the way folks did 100 years ago, the old way, the right way.

We enjoyed so many wonderful activities and learned so much about the early years of farming and harvest celebration.

We started with an old -fashion marionette puppet show.

 The kids (and I) had so much fun!!!

After the show we wandered down to the Barn where the "music man" (as L calls him) waited for us.
He was quite happy to have an audience. Because of the rain his "auditorium" was slightly under water but that didn't stop us from sitting there and listening to his wonderful songs.

Meanwhile the folks over at the open kitchen were handing out home made chocolate covered candy canes and were heating up the cider.

 LOVED the "Exit" sign at the gazebo :)

We stopped by Father Christmas and had a nice, little chat with him.
Surprisingly enough he knew quite a bit about American Girl dolls and Kindle Fire.

The kids learned to comb/clean fresh wool,

the room was filled with sweetness and

... and felt rather warm and cozy.

Then the kiddos had a blast with the Christmas crafts,

and had to be dragged out to attend the traditional Wassailing (blessing of the orchard).

We started with caroling and then ...

 ... walked down to the orchard to bless the trees.

Wassailing tradition calls for dancing through the orchard with hot apple cider in your hands, spilling it all over the trees to bless them and pray for a good crop for the next year.

And so we did, sing and dance and smile ...

... following the pros and watching them twirl and spill and sing ...

We finished the ceremony with more Christmas songs and hot cider.

The Patterson House was our last check-point, where we were able to squeeze in a "last tour" before they closed up the house for the day.
If you read this and live near Fremont you MUST go and visit this wonderful place and soak up all it's history and spirit of the "good, olden days".

The kids LOVED every second of the tour and had questions over questions (apparently in 1900 kids were not allowed in the guest parlor and were not allowed to talk during supper "... be seen but not heard!".

Lulu joined the Lady Chorus for a quick "Jingle Bells" and was ALL SMILES :)

We spent all afternoon at the farm and left with a warm heart and big smiles.
What a wonderful way to start off the magical season, definitely a MUST DO AGAIN NEXT YEAR!

Happy Advent 1st!

May this season bring you joy and happiness!

It takes moments like this to remind myself to slow down, smell the roses (or better bake, smell and eat the cookies) and try to avoid the rush and the materialism of this time.

I get sucked into it every year and it takes a good shaking for me to SLOW DOWN and enjoy what really matters (always but especially during this time of the year), family, friends, peace and quiet.

Eating good, GERMAN, chocolate covered gingerbread, drinking tea and spiced wine and looking forward to some family time in front of the fire, reading the Nutcracker for the 100th time,

... dreaming about Sugar Plum Fairies and watching Hyder watch you.

Time for secret makings ...

... and adding some Christmas BLING to the house.

 
Our beloved Solstice Tree is back in the prettiest of his dresses!

Old friends come back to visit ...

... and secret letters are written.

And silliness is the most important part of it all!

So be merry and happy, enjoy your little ones and big ones and if it all gets too busy and stressful, when the calendar is double booked with parties and get-togethers just stop and look into the eyes of the kids, listen to their stories and questions about the North Pole and Santa.
Listen to them talk to the House Elf (Hyder) to explain the naughty moments of the day and just get infected by them, infected with magic and mystery, holiday spirit and fantasy.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... it truly is!!!

{this moment}

A recital and a proud Mama