Advent - Give or Take

With the holidays in full swing, I finally got a handle on advent calendars.  It has been a multi-year process, but I figured out something that feels good.  It will continue to evolve.  (In fact, I've only sewn up to December 12th.)  But, here is how it works:

On red tree days, the kids get a gift that comes in the red bag.  Then on green tree days, they give a gift.  Their instructions are written on a little scroll.

Both with giving and receiving, the gifts are things that were already on our list.  Here's are examples:

GIVE:  toys to the local "share-a-gift," granola to our neighbors, bread to the homeless shelter, peanut butter pine cones to the birds.
GET:  socks, vitamin water, pencils, mints, gum

I don't mean to sound too pleased with myself in this post.  Believe me, I really have no room for that.  I'm just happy to have landed on this small ritual that at least makes an effort to highlight the giving and reciveing this time of year.  Especially given the childlike tendency to focus on receiving.  (Their wish lists are pages long...)

Homeade Part II - June's Sling

I finally finished making a baby sling for June's baby "Brown Eyes."  ("Sparkle Eyes," the twin, gets to ride in it, too, but Brown Eyes is #1.)

June deserved a sling.  Her babies are always close.  I thought she'd eat it up.

The inspiration came from an old bridesmaid's dress / skirt.  (Thanks, Katie.)  By cutting off the bottom, it was a nice easy transformation.  Still, it took a while to get it right.  Brown Eyes always seemed to fall out, so I added some ribbon to the edges and thought it was a great fix.

But, this homemade creation quickly fell into a certain category:  neglected.  I envisioned lots of use, lots of cuddling, almost a permanent accessory.  Instead, it quickly got tossed into a pile, rarely to resurface, despite all my great expectations.

Oh well.  It was fun to envision its use, and it was not that big of a deal to make.  Just one of many parenting lessons about moving on.

Wild Turkeys

On a hike earlier this Fall, our family came upon a whole flock of wild turkeys.  We'd heard that they could be found around Heil Valley Ranch.  For years we'd looked for them, but this was our lucky day.

I've come across wild turkeys a few times in my life.  Once in Arkansas and about five times in Virginia.  Seeing them feels different from other wild animal sightings.  It's always unexpected, yet seemingly ordinary at the same time.  They are such familiar animals, but unfamiliar on the trails, certainly those that I walk.  It seems surprising that they could always be around, and more surprising that I hardly ever see them. 

I am thankful for experience of seeing these turkeys in the wild, and I am thankful for the mystery that they evoke.  I am thankful for the mysteries that the holidays can evoke, too.  Although so much is tradition and repetition and ritual to bring out our best selves, surprises can creep through our predictable routines and even our predictable selves.  

Today, we lived our family routines:  Turkey Trot 5k, last minute trip to the store, park time and sports, lots of kitchen time and feasting.  But to be honest, conflict and worry penetrated even a day like today.  

And so, I find solace in those elusive wild turkeys.  Thanksgiving reminds me of the wild turkey mystery of gratitude and forgiveness and family.  I put faith in those mysteries, today and beyond. 

These two posed photos are from a recent visit to a farm.  

Homemade Part I: Pillows

In anticipation of a big road trip this past summer, I made some pillow cases for the kids.  

I picked out materials that fit each personality, and a shape on the front that did the same.  I admit, they were for me as much as they were for them.  It made me feel good to see them cozy up with something  they know I made special just for them.  Plus it might help them sleep.   

I finished the last one mid-trip.  I tend to sew everything by hand so it takes a long time.  But, I like the process.  Plus, I don't have particularly good karma with machines.  But, I think they enjoyed watching each stitch and claiming it for their own.

Now, the pillows stay close in every bed and come on every road trip, big or small.  In other words, they continue to be my gift to me.

An Hour and a Hill

On a recent weekend walk, albeit one peppered with bickering and tantrums, the kids found a hill.  They then proceeded to body surf for an hour.  It was a lot like sledding without the snow, or the sled.   

Everyone was fairly timid when they began.  But, variations came fast, including head first and the all-kid pile up.  For times when the sibling tensions return, I'll have to return to that hill.

The Best Thing

So often, the best thing we can do is go on a hike.  Among the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, and the heated dramas that happen in between, wandering outdoors brings out the best in all of us.  

Fleeting Fall

On Monday, I caught a bike ride along the Boulder Creek in the height of Fall.  There seemed to be a general consensus among everyone I saw that we were lucky to catch it.

Two days later, we had 8 inches of snow.  There's really no choice but to feel lucky again.  This time, to take a walk with my little boy who hardly remembered the last snow.  Clara certainly felt lucky.  She ran outside to fill her mouth with huge clumps of snow, saying "I've been longing for this all year!"  For her, it's not unlike living in Appalachia and craving red dirt.

The only unlucky ones were the trees.  The whole world looked 6 feet shorter as they slumped, and too often snapped, with the weight of the new season.