Wednesday, December 19, 2007

What Owen said to me this morning:

"Mom, it used to be that getting was my favorite part of Christmas. Now it's giving."
Many gifts have been crafted in the last few weeks, using glue, glitter, paper, plastic, popsicle sticks, crayons, markers, paints, and a little bit of this and that from around the house. Creativity has been abundant. They are now waiting under the tree, for the much-anticipated moment when they are carefully extracted from the paper and maze of tape, eyes of parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, wide open and bright, smiles genuine, excitement true, to see the amazing gifts, crafted with love, from two sets of small hands.
I can't wait.
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Sunday, December 16, 2007

Who doesn't like Chirstmas lights set to music?

We sure do!
Enjoy a few selections, courtesy Owen, Lauryn and YouTube.

Wizards in Winter (Trans Siberian Orchestra)


Angels we have Heard on High



Jingle Bells


More Wizards in Winter (Trans Siberian Orchestra)
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Friday, December 7, 2007

One of my absolute favorite memories from childhood



Amahl and the Night Visitors -- we listened to it every Christmas as we decorated the tree. I must have been about 3rd grade when I was allowed to take the record out of its sleeve, and carefully place it on the record player in the large console in our living room. It felt like a huge responsibility and honor. I would try to dance to the music, only to make the record skip. I don't know how young I was when I was able to sing many of the words. My mother somehow hit all of those high notes. I can't remember if my sisters sang too, but I'm sure they did.

I would giggle at the boy's questions of the kings and I loved the deaf King ("eh??"). I loved the painting on the record cover, Madonna and child. I loved the words of the young child -- it made sense to me. "mother, mother, mother come with me, I want to be sure that you see what I see"..."this is my box"... "Don't you dare ugly man, hurt my mother" ... "there is a king with a crown" ... "what did I tell you"... Oh I could go on and on but soon my hands would type the entire opera.

Last year, I found a record, the original version, at Goodwill. It was $1. I nearly cried right there in the store. I literally put everything down and hugged it to my chest.

Now, on a cold, quiet night, I have found the original telecast of the opera, thanks to YouTube. I can tell it is the original, and that it is the same cast that recorded the record I listened to as a child, now the same version I am sharing with my children.

The video below is long, but take just a moment, fast forward past the interviews at the beginning, and listen to just a few minutes of one of my favorite memories from childhood.
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Things mom would be proud of...

A few things done in our household, in recent weeks, that mom would be proud of:

10.) Family painting project, framed and hanging in the living room: a very colorful, abstract creation. Beautiful.

9.) Raked leaves in the FALL, not the spring after they've had an entire winter to "marinate." (Hey, makes better mulch for the flower gardens that way.)

8.) Held a eulogy in the living room for a lost family pet. Everyone said words. Tears were shed. And Lili was remembered.

7.) Baked cookies for Owen's Christmas program, packaged up and in the freezer, ready for next week. No last-minute bustle, or box of cookies from the store.

6.) Learned to play Yahtzee. Wow, that's a fun game. I never knew.

5.) Listened to "Amahl and the Night Visitors" on vinyl. It doesn't crack and ping in the exact places I remember from childhood, but the music is still perfect.

4.) Let the kids decorate the entire Christmas tree, and didn't even THINK about moving the ornaments to fill in the empty places. Its perfect as it is.

3.) All of the nativity scene figures are dutifully standing around the baby Jesus, watching every move.

2.) A few of my Christmas presents I have sewed from scratch. May not be 4-H quality, but its good enough.

1.) Baked Cinnamon Rolls -- yes, from scratch; yes, mom's recipe; yes, I made 2 triple recipes; yes, 2 pairs of young hands were big helpers. Owen counted 45 pans, with a total of 308 rolls + 2 tea rings. And yes, there was enough room in the freezer, but just barely.

Pictures of some of these events will hopefully one day follow. Since Halloween has yet to get on the blog, I know most of you won't be holding your breath.
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