The Season

We stayed in bed until 10:30 AM.  It was unusual and welcome to take a slow start.  We had a brunch of eggs and toast, and the children were very cheerful. 

I love days like this!  Today it rained a lot, but we managed to get out when the clouds were taking a break.  We found a marshy place to puddle stomp, which Reya loved until she got too wet for comfort. 

It was fun while it lasted, but then she felt grumpy, and also didn't appreciate some thorny plants that were sticking up out of the ground and catching on her fleece pants.  That's when it was time to go home and do something warm and dry.

It just occurred to me today that Yule is this coming Monday.  I am basically prepared, but just wasn't keeping track of the date.  It seems that time wouldn't fly like this if I was still a kid.  Being an adult is weird that way.

We  have been doing our advent ritual each day.  I let Reya light a candle for the kingdoms of nature, week by week. 

We are on week three, and by next week, we will be lighting all four candles.  As we light them, we say our verse, and Reya listens with remarkable attention.

The first light of Advent

It is the light of stones.

Stones that live in seashells,

Crystals and in bones.

The second light of Advent

It is the light of plants.

Plants that reach up to the sun,

And in the breezes dance.

The third light of Advent

It is the light of beasts.

The light of hope that we may see,

In greatest and in least.

The fourth light of Advent

It is the light of man.

The light of love, the light of thought,

To give and understand.

We also made a wreath for our front door area.  I hope that it gives a smile to our neighbors and visitors!  

Today Reya helped me add a little snowman ornament to the center of it- a touch of childish whimsy.

We have been stringing popcorn and cranberries for our yule tree.  Reya loved eating both the corn and the sour, raw berries. 

She helped string a little, too, but she was very concerned that I was going to put too many on the string and not leave her enough to snack on.  

I was so lucky to have seen an ad on craigslist advertising free table top trees, and when my Mom was in town, she took me pretty far across town to go pick one out.  I would not have been able to afford a tree this year otherwise.  My preference is to buy a live one in a pot, and use it each year as it grows, eventually planting it out of doors.  That takes money that I do not have this year, so the free tree was a sweet blessing.  I found a stand for $1 at Goodwill, and cheap, blue lights as well.  We decorated it this evening, and Reya was so happy about it.  She really enjoyed unwrapping each ornament from it's protective paper, and finding a place on a branch to hang it. 

I think this is more exciting than presents would ever be.  She did a really great job with the decorations.  She was very gentle and careful with the delicate ones, and hung them really well.  I did the high places.

I love our ornaments.  Some have been hand made by my children or my Nana, and others have been gifts.  I have a tradition of gifting my children each a specially chosen ornament each year.  They may take them to their own homes one day when they are adults, and have their own collection if they wish.  I hope they love that idea, but who knows?  I am sure my Mother never expected me to celebrate what I do?  A Mother can never get to caught up in expectation with her kids.  That reminds me of a song based on a writing by Kahlil someone or other...can't remember how to spell the last name, but it goes like this:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and the daughters of life's longing for itself.

They come through you but they are not from you.

They are with you , but belong not to you.

You can give them your love but not your thoughts.

They have their own thoughts.

You can house their bodies but not their souls.

For their souls dwell in a place of tomorrow,

Which you can not visit not even in your dreams.

You can long to be like them,

But you can not make them just like you.