Kids and Christmas

Damn it. Excuse my french (mais c'est pas Français). Why am I getting Christmas cards?! It's weeks away. Wait. Crap. What's the date?

No. We can't be in the middle of December?! It hit hard when I was on skype yesterday and the friend in Mexico, with whom I was skype-ing, had a lovely lit tree in the background. Double crap. We don't have a tree. Yet.

I did attempt to light up the outside of the house. I bought environmentally-friendly solar powered Christmas Lights. They - well - suck. Flash from 5:00 - 5:20 and then nothing. It's just sad to see lights that suck. Better not to light at all I say.

This weekend - we're doing the tree. It gets decorated from mid-point to bottom (as that is where Thing 1 and Thing 2 can reach). Nothing on the tree is breakable or irreplaceable (I have been responsible for tree crashings more than once in my life -- all times -- my fault -- the physics of tree erection are simply -- too complicated).

This whole Christmas thing - well, it represents our life. Full of good intentions and a bit of rush. We paint Popsicle sticks and print pictures from the computer to make photo frame ornaments for the tree. The star is cereal box cardboard traced in the form of a star and covered with aluminum paper - held in place by an aluminum covered toilet paper role. Thing 1 and I made it together one December afternoon. That star is who we are. Not perfect but a good story.

Life's all about the good stories.

Parent Club Review: Prima Princessa

Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake is a great holiday gift for little girls. It's different from other princess dvds in that it presents the story of Swan Lake danced by Paris Opera Ballet. The animated fairy "Prima Princessa" describes the story of the ballet. She is fun, inviting and informative on the ballet moves and music.


Between the acts of the ballet, the viewers are schooled in simple ballet moves performed by students of the School of American Ballet.

The Parent Club kid reviewers got into the action - following the simple ballet teachings. They enjoyed watching the segments showing other children practicing the dance movement. After the 4th request to replay the dvd - we decided it was a hit.

Check out Prima Princessa as a stocking stuffer idea for your little ballerina.

Planting Your Own Garden

I stumbled upon the poem "Comes the Dawn" in my mid-teens. It was something that seeped into my core and I carried around in my bones.

I hadn't thought about it for years. Then, my prince charming had a pulmonary embolism. It was shocking. Life-limiting. I thought of that poem. "...futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight".

I realized that, though in many ways my life is a fairy tale, honest reality lingers between the pages of our stories. My children, unknowingly, faced the possiblity of loosing a parent. I tasted widowhood.

I thought of the poem again, as someone dear to me is in the hospital this week. I felt selfish that I take my fairy tale for granted. I expect the people in my life to - stay in my life.

Comes the Dawn

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul,

and you learn that
love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't mean security,

and you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises,

and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up
and your eyes ahead,
with the grace of a woman,
not the grief of a child,

and you learn to build all of your roads
on today because tomorrow's ground
is too uncertain for plans,
and futures have a way of
falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that
even sunshine burns
if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul,
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.

And you learn that
you really can endure...
That you really do have worth.
And you learn and you learn...
With every goodbye you learn.


(Source: Veronica A. Shoffstall... Comes The Dawn)

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