Why do we do this? Christmas edition

Happy Holidays .... 
I totally understand why we say happy holidays .... there are so many things being celebrated in the month of December.  I can't expect everyone to celebrate the same as me.  I can respect that, but I too want the freedom to be able to say Merry Christmas.  I have to say though, I'm curious about other cultures.   I researched a bit about Hanukkah because I admit that most of what I knew about it came from that one episode of Friends where Ross explains it to Ben.  "I understand why superman is here, but why is there a porcupine at the Easter bunnies funeral?" and for you Nan, "But I didn't get to shake my belly like a bowl full of jelly."   Anyways, Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of the oil burning in the temple for 8 days instead of 1 when the Temple was attacked.

 Now Christmas ... It's pretty simple since the word is right in it .... I love this line from 7th Heaven, "It's, Christmas.  I was thinking about  ... well, Christ."  Seems simple. I think we all know the story of Christ's birth in a manger.  I suppose if we're going to celebrate this holiday we should know what it's about.  Here is the part that got me thinking ... what about all the traditions we do in celebration of this holiday?  Do I even know why we do certain things?


A few years ago I got to thinking about Santa Claus.  JJ was at that age and we had to decide, Santa: the way Satan spells his name when he wants to trick us or harmless, jolly guy in a suit?  Well, we researched.  St. Nicholas dates back to the 4th century.  He was a Christian who was known for giving gifts to the poor. In the 16-17th century the gift bringer was changed to Christ Child (called Kris Kringle in English).   I know things have been altered over time, but what a wonderful opportunity to teach our children about giving.  Part of the spirit of Christmas and being a Christian is looking outside ourselves and giving to others.  However, we decided we would never lie to our kids if they ask straight out if Santa goes down the chimney.  I believe we are raising smart enough kids that as they get older they will understand the difference between the magic of Christmas and the spirit of Christmas.  Most kids figure it out on their own before the age of 8.


What else do we do?  A Christmas tree is very important to me.  Warm fuzzy feelings from my childhood.  In the 15th century the tree was brought out the last night before the holidays for men to dance around with maidens and women.  Not exactly what I would call a warm fuzzy tradition.  Later that century, nuts and fruit were put on it for the children to collect on Christmas day.  Getting a little closer to what we use it for today.  By the 18th and 19th Century it had become a Protestant tradition and in 1781 it was brought to Canada by  Brunswick soldiers and was used in a more popular way as it is used today.  Today, that star on top represents the star of Bethlehem and the Angel represents the host of angels in the nativity.  Not sure how I feel about the early origins, but I will still probably put up a tree and focus on the family time spent together and the nativity part.

 I also love putting up the Christmas stockings.  There is no historical proof of where this origin came from.  It's said that St. Nicholas wanted to secretly help some young ladies so he put a bag of gold in their stockings that were hanging to dry.  There is no proof of that, but it became a tradition with the children.  Of course they put their regular socks out.  Some say that Christians adopted it from Odin who would leave candy and gifts for Children who left carrots and sugar in their boots for his flying horse Sleipnir.  I don't know.  I wasn't there.


I have learned a few things. Everything comes from somewhere and you have to decide why you do something and what your motives are.  Personally, my favorite way to celebrate Christmas will always be the carols, the lights and the time spent with family and friends.  Wow, I'm sounding old.  That's something my Dad would have said.  In all truthfulness, I think it's wonderful to celebrate the holidays and enjoy your traditions because none of it would mean anything if your heart wasn't filled with hope.  Those things are fun because we have hope and joy.  Otherwise, these things are meaningless.

Enjoy preparing for the season.

Creation Station ... homemade gifts

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  No ... seriously.  Even Matthew wants to put the tree up soon.  Next week is the start of December ... along with this comes the planning, lists and organizing.  For JJ and I, that means crafts!  For Matthew that means some vacation time coming up.  For Tee that means more things she can touch.  Oh blessed little lamb.

We started JJ's teacher's gifts awhile ago.  We wanted to make something to avoid the obvious duplicates. It was so fun!  Of course, fortune cookies are Chinese which is right up JJ's alley these days.  So we started our creation station ....

First, we asked all the students, the principal and a few mom's what they liked about each teacher.  This was easy since I get one on one time with each child out in the hall every week..

Second, we typed up each response and cut them into strips.

Third, we made paper fortune cookies and put one thought in each one ....

The finished product ...

 

I guess it's sort of a teacher's advent calendar filled with reasons why they are loved.  Every day they can open one and know that they are making such a difference in so many little lives.  Teachers are awesome.  If you are a teacher, thank you!

Genius

Have you ever had one of those .... "wow, that's genius ... wish I knew that a long time ago" moments?  Sometimes I have those moments ... something hits me and I say, "Genius!"  Sometimes people will share something with me and I say, "Genius!"

For example, it wasn't until JJ was 5 and I was in the store with my friend that she pointed out that I could simply pull the front of the cart out and JJ could climb in.  Seriously!  I NEVER thought of that.  All the times I struggled to get her in and it could have been that simple!  Genius!


Then there is less obvious stuff like adding cottage cheese to your skeds.  The kids don't know it's there and for some reason the sauce doesn't stain their clothes/faces as much ... and added nutrients they don't get in their regular diet.  Simple.  Or using washed out playdoh containers to put snacks in their lunch.  Simple. Or typing the girls "stories" right on the computer instead of writing it in their journal and then typing it out later.  Seriously a lot easier and I just thought of this a little while ago.  I don't think it's that I'm "unsmart" ... it's just that it never dawned on me before.  Or as I would say as a child, "donged on me".


Simple little tricks ... stuff I wish I had known for a long time and can't believe I never thought of before.  

Know what you can do when your daughter's pants are too short?  Sew lace on the bottom of the legs.  Super easy, super cute and super economical.  Did you know that if you put a pack of wipes in every room you have a pack of wipes in every room!  Genius.   Or that if you keep "just in case" clothes and accessories in the car you don't have to carry stuff around and you're always prepared.


Here's my favorite.  After weeks of my friend telling me about price matching it finally hit me!  I can go through the flyers, write on the top what I want at that sale price and do all my shopping at one place! No more running around to hit the door crashers.  Simple.  Genius.

If you put soap and water in a spray bottle, your child will clean your entire house and be convinced you are a fun mom.   Put some cider vinegar in a cup with a few drops of dish soap and your fruit flies will be gone in one day.   You can substitute half your oil in a recipe with unsweetened applesauce.  Rinsing with peroxide is safe and really helps when your gums hurt or feel "full".  And in my case, if you say something is Chinese, JJ will eat it.  "Yes my dear ... shepherd's pie is Chinese food".  Don't judge, Chinese people eat shepherd's pie too.


And so I invite you to enlighten me.  Tricks to save time, money, energy and sanity.  No trick too simple.  Make me say, "Wow, you're a Genius!"

And the winner is ....

After reading through all the family Christmas traditions, Matthew and I knew right away which one was for our family.

And the winner of the Family Christmas Traditions contest is ....

Drum roll ....

Lisa H.

We love the idea of getting a family game every year and playing it as a family.  The game can change as our family grows and develops.  Hopefully we won't start any bad traditions with it.  I have a friend who is actually not allowed to play scrabble with her family anymore because she gets too worked up.  We will start with a game that will get Tee's attention and it will allow us some normal family time.   We even have a gift card for toysrus and I look forward to going with Matthew to pick it out.  We need something that would get Tee's attention, but also be fun for JJ.  Any suggestions??

Lisa, your ornament will be waiting for you.

Christmas Traditions Contest

Looking out my front window I see a huge yellow maple that screams AUTUMN to me.  It also reminds me that we are going to have a lot of leaves to rake up soon.  I told Matthew we cannot have a repeat of the first year we lived here.  We were THOSE neighbours.  Thank you Bud and Julie for helping with that.  We have awesome neighbours, but that's another story for another time.

Hmmm.  Traditions can be interesting.  They can be good or bad.  Reading the story of Christ's birth around a fire place on Christmas Eve or saying you'll do stuff early this year, but still finding yourself running around doing errands last minute.  Or you could be a Dickey and have the tradition of staying up most of the night getting ready.  I do not have Dickey blood in me so I cannot keep up with that tradition.  Perhaps you make a donation to the food bank or promise that you won't eat too much at Christmas dinner.

Although my front window tells me that it's Autumn, visiting the store this morning told me that it's Christmas.  So, in keeping with the Spirit of Christmas that is fast approaching I am inviting you to take part in a Christmas Traditions Contest.  I am looking for Christmas ideas and traditions.  I'd love to hear about a tradition that you did as a family growing up or one that you have started as an adult.   If we decide to do your tradition as a family, you will receive a personalized tree ornament .  I am also hoping to hear some really cool/beautiful stories to get to know a little more about you.  

You can either write your tradition(s) on my blog or on my facebook.  I wanted to get started so I have time to make the ornament and get it to the winner before we are in the thick of the season.  So looking forward to hearing from you!

There has to be more out there

I have always believed in God.  For a good portion of my childhood I assumed everyone believed in God.  As my world expanded I was introduced to many different world views.  My core beliefs have not changed, but my faith has been altered as I have learned and experienced more.  This past year I have done a lot of thinking and I dare admit that I have asked the question, "what if there isn't a God?".  I mean, come on, there are so many different religions, faiths and even denominations within the same faith.  So many different views on certain topics .. even within the same church!  How could I possibly be the only one who has everything figured out?

Well, here's my big conclusion,

I don't have everything figured out.  I do not know the mind of God.

There are so many things that I could debate about or worry about.  I could argue until I am blue in the face about a certain view point.  That's not really me.  I do have certain things that I truly believe, but if I get to Heaven and find out I'm wrong, I'm not going to argue. What I do believe is that there has to be more out there than what we see.

There has to be more than what we see infront of our faces.  It's so easy to get caught up in daily living and be ignorant to a greater picture.  These few years on earth can't possibly be all there is.  What is the point?  Why are we here?  There have been some people in my life who have lost children over the past year.  Babies inside the womb, an eleven year old, a teen.  What was their existence for if it was just taken away?

There has to be more.  I see the earth or a video on how a child is created.  There has to be something greater than us.  A reason for the gratitude you feel when you look at the stars.  A bigger picture than what we can see from our view point.  Some greater story than the immediate pain we feel on earth.  Something bigger.  Reasons that we can't possibly understand from where we are.

I think we are living here as a flicker of time before eternity.  I believe those mothers will be reunited with their children one day.  I believe there are forces here on earth that we can't always see.  I believe I may have entertained angels and I have felt the force of Satan try to tear my family apart.

I remember after my Papa passed away I was sitting in his car in a parking lot as my mom took care of some of his business.  I can't remember all the details.  I think I was praying.  It was a sad time.  I remember suddenly feeling the car move as though a great weight had rested on it.  It felt as though a bunch of angels had landed on his car ....  I don't know.  I remember looking around kind of weirded out.  You may think I'm nuts, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

I don't want what I see before me to be my only purpose in life.  However long I live for, I don't want this to be it.  Living day by day ... from high to high.  I suppose this is what they call hope.  Hope for something greater and bigger.

What do I know?  I know that God wants me to love him and to love others.  I know He wants me to look past the superficial.  He wants me to enjoy the wonderful gifts on earth, but to think eternally.  To know that He has a greater picture.  He was here before the world began.  Generations of people have come and gone.  That can't be the end.  There has to be more out there.

reflections

Well folks.  I am 32.  Not sure if I have any great wisdom to impart on you in my old age.  I have learned that if you are gassy, working out is really helpful and that one can have grey hair and acne at the same time.  Probably not words to live by.

When a birthday comes around there are two things that I have learned
1) Make it a goal that the birthday person feels loved by the end of the day .. whatever works for that person.
2) The birthday person shares and reflects on the highlight of that year.

#1 was a success for me this year.  I certainly felt loved.  I got some lovely gifts from my mom that certainly reflect my personality.  I got two cakes ... not chocolate cakes with frosting with my name on top.  I got Lisa cakes.  I got a candy cake and a chocolate bar cake.  Two important people in my life thought, "what would Lisa like?".  I also got this super cool book

I don't feel loved because Matthew went out and bought me a present.  I feel loved because Matthew listened to me talk about cities, architecture and maps for hours and thought I would like this book even though it had never crossed my mind before.  I also feel loved because of a special little note I got.  JJ handed me a picture covered in hearts with 100 written on the top.  She said it's because "I love you 100".  Now that in itself is so sweet, but it was so sweet to me because it's something I say to Matthew.  There is a little person who copies me and was able to put into a picture, words that she has heard before.  It was so endearing.  I'm a so lucky to have a daughter who shares a piece of my heart.  And then there's Tee.  I can't help but love her solely on the fact that she sounds like a fax machine half the time.   All she has to do is be herself and I feel the love and blessing pour over our house.

Want to talk about feeling loved?

Waking up to all these faces holding pictures with birthday messages.  It would put a smile on a constipated polar bear with fleas.  I am not constipated.  Nor do I have fleas so you can imagine the smile on my face.  Thanks to everyone who took part.

Well, that takes care of #1.

#2  Reflections over the past year ....

In my old age I seem to have forgotten this past year.  My calendar says the year did happen. 

*Tee starting daycare.  That opened a world of possibilities for Tee and myself.
*Having a 5 year old.  JJ has really grown this year and it's really fun watching her discover things. 
*Volunteering in room 19.  It feels so good to be part of something again.
*Walking with Matthew and getting caught in the rain.  I couldn't run so we walked together ... one of us was screaming.  It was the perfect picture of Ohana.

I'll take my rose coloured goggles off for a second.

*Tee's diagnosis was pretty huge.  Changed our whole family dynamic and opened a whole world of new fears and challenges.
*I went through a season of personal challenges as I tried to figure out my life and faith

We still struggle as we try to define our family and faith, but the "hope" side is certainly winning now.  This is our time and this is our dance.   Now if you have seen us dance you may worry about us ... but don't worry.  We still have fun doing it.

Thanks for being part of my life.