I found a little nightstand that my husband will fashion into a kitchen for all three girls and I've acquired a few things to go with it from second hand stores. A couple of tiny pots, a small broom, a little cream and red bowl that makes me dreamy of a Scandinavian kitchen, wooden spoons and a few wooden bowls from my own kitchen, an enamelware camping coffee set my parents were throwing out... sweet things but not dumbed down. It will have a place of honor in our front room and I'm making place for a little table and chair set I hope to find in time.
I had planned to open gifts on Solstice and save small stocking things for Christmas, but I won't be ready then and that's OK, too. Still going slowly, letting go of the things that really don't matter so much. I think we'll take our Christmas past the 25th and keep our lights burning through the 12 Days of Christmas, feeling inspired to do so by Grace. Little thoughts that have bloomed in me. We are staying here as much as possible, trying to stay out of the rush and the desperation that comes out in so many this time of year. Many, many times I have heard others lament that they just hate the commercialism and indulgence of Christmas. My reply has always been the same, like everything, it is what you make of it. Here in our home we can choose what we allow in and how we celebrate and the things we do and have. We stay out of stores as much as possible. I prefer not to grocery shop with the girls in tow this time of year. We stay home and we go to friends and celebrate at our own pace, in our own way. We choose. As my girls grow and go out into the world more and more on their own they will see that it's not always as we've done things, they we see there are many choices to be made and many ways to do things. And that's OK. I'm laying their foundation now, and that's all I can do. I give them what I can now, an environment and experiences and a way of life, and I don't believe that all of that will be lost just because other things are later introduced.
It's a foundation. It's something to lean on, something to come to expect, a rhythm, tradition. Something that is unique to our family even if they can't find it out in the world later on. It's something they can always return to and, if they so choose, carry out in their own families later on.
So here we are. Making preparations in our own way and at our own pace. I think we will go ahead get our tree this Sunday, so we can do it with Daddy and have it up by Solstice. How is your holiday coming along?
