Celebrate the Solstice
Let go of what's not needed
Welcome light and love.
One elf is at work
Making treasures in secret
For the dad he loves
This time the interlude has a name -- Influenza A. Silas was hit hard January 10th but his resilient little self, aided by quick dosing with 5 days of Tamiflu, meant he was ready to return to school a mere 7 days after his first symptoms. I, on the other hand, did not get the Tamiflu and am still symptomatic about 10 days later. Today I recognize myself a bit for the first time, despite the fact that cleaning toothpaste splatter off the bathroom mirror winds me. But, I showered (!!!), made kale egg salad, cleaned that mirror (!), and walked the dog for a few minute. I think I'm back among the living.
So, today I am cataloging the benefits of an enforced interlude of mostly homebound bed rest--an interlude marked by broken routines (limited dog walking, piano practice, meal preparing, school and activity shuttling, cancelled lessons and yoga clases) and added stuff (novel reading, Lego sticker book "reading", interminable games of Sorry and Battleship, lots of Hulu and Netflix watching, more football than I care to think about...).
But the broken allows for a clean sweep and the benefits of the influenza interlude are many.....lots of practice in letting go of control, inviting people to help me, sitting down whenever necessary, two good novels read (Elizabeth Street and Caleb's Crossing), detoxing from sugar and wine, inspiration to more courageously practice my art, parenting and yoga, renewed appreciation for beauty and order in my environment, saying "No", slowing down, rebooting my priorities, getting the calendar organized for the spring, etc.
So, I am slowing regaining strength in cycles of 15 minutes on and 45 minutes down. Slow and steady wins the race, someone once said.
Vintage sunglasses courtesy of my mother-in-law.
"Little House Christmas" at the Main Street Theater in Houston. Silas and I read all 9 books together this year, so it was fun to hear is very detailed analysis of all the liberties they took with time, place, persons and events.
We FINALLY got to ice skate at Discovery Green and Santa showed up!
Afterward, we had a quick bite at our favotire Mission Burrito and went to Silas' piano teacher's family concert, full of piano, basoon, bell choir and lots of singing.
Silas, the Star Wars lego-loving Ninja (new balaclava and ski goggles in his stocking this year!).
Taking the break from the holiday joy, wearing new safety glasses from his very own real took kit and his new sweater & pj's.
Oh, no! Auntie gave Silas the new version of "Battleship"!
On Christmas Eve I did a lot of food prep for Christmas and we enjoyed a lovely evening of holiday cheer with friends at their gathering. On Christmas morning we had a slow and sweet time with gifts for our tiny family, a breakfast of cinnamon rolls, and later a festive lunch and rousing game of Timeline with family, and an adult viewing of the Christmas premier of Les Miserables. Foosball, lego and other fun stuff ensued for the little one and his daddy.
I hope everyone had and continues to have a peaceful, companionable, and joyful holiday season.
Scenes from the Season
Dinner with a dear old friend and Mr. Darcy.
The funny pancake maker!
Gingerbread men & such.
Making tamales.
Silas takes a portrait of his family.
Traditional Christmas miniatures.
Silas finds a home at the North Pole.
Some making at Silas' school Christmas party.
Note card making.
Singing in public (!!!) at the Solstice Tamale Fiesta.
Not pictured...reading "Cops & Robbers", watching "Rudolf" & "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", wrapping presents, giving presents, the beautiful Solstice Tamale Fiesta ceremony (fire & candlelighting outside this year), making snowflakes for Newtown, and on and on....
December 12 ::: a visit to Santa & some ornament-making
I asked Silas if he wanted to see Santa this year (he's only sat on his lap twice in his life), and he was certain that he did. So, I got a referral for what is ostensibly the best Santa in our area and we headed out after piano practice and homework for a little holiday magic. Alas, although Santa was beautiful, he was a little dull. Too much holiday cheer the night before? Silas said he was really glad to see him, but clearly had a crush on the speed boats, Arctic Cats, Bad Boys, remote control cars and multiple firearms. Don't you just love the pink rifle?
Clearly Outdoor World was a hit with Silas, but I was ready to pitch him overboard by the time I could drag him out of there. Did I actually put that in words for others to see? Yes, sometimes, even my beloved and adored Silas can push me over the edge. Not his fault, of course. I unwittingly set myself up big time. It's the war stuff that gets me. He actually said to me in the car on the way home, "I don't want to be in the army, I want to design bigger and more dangerous weapons to help the army." ("Help them do what???...and why????," I wanted to scream! Maybe I did...you'll have to ask Silas.) Still, I managed to hold onto most of my patience long enough to get him home and through dinner, and the making of the holiday ornament for his martial arts school's tree.
Thankfully, Daddy handled books and bedtime so I could cut out 70 tiny red felt circles to serve as hollyberries for a classroom party craft. I keep saying, "Yes." Hmmm. My motto for 2013? Priorities and boundaries. Maybe I need a pink rifle of my own?
So, on a sweeter, more serene, holiday note, here is Silas' multi-prototyped ornament for a little contest at his martial arts school. He drilled the holes in the cup himself, cut the snowflakes, taped it all together and tied the string. He had a little guidance, but I really urged him to do it all himself. Such fun.
Materials:
Instructions:
Drill two small holes in the sides just below the rim. Cut two paper snowflakes out of kite paper (tissue paper might work) in a dark color (we used blue). Cut a tube and make a cone-ish/cylinder liner in white (yellow might also be pretty).
Tape the liner to the inside of the cup, being careful to avoid the holes you drilled.
Tape the snowflakes to the outside of the cop on opposite sides (with the holes between the two snowflakes.
Insert a ribbon through both holes and tie off the ends to hold it onto the cup.
Place an LED candle in it and hang it on the tree or from a nail. These would be super cute decorations for a party as a wintry alternative to Chinese-style lanterns.
I'm thinking this might work as a kid craft for our Solstice party if the holes were pre-drilled and the snowflakes were folded and ready to cut. What do you think? Our guests range in age from 5 to 12 or so.
We took a little relaxation from the Advent business on Monday and Tuesday, partly owing to a mid-season melt down I had on Monday morning after sending Silas off to school. So, after some tears and comfort, I finished all the hot cocoa powder making and Silas and I snuggled down to homey activities like making gifts for his classmates (limit 50 cents per student!!!) and reading a delightful new treasure of a Christmas book, Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales.
This is truly an outstanding little gem, full of detailed, slightly askew and very colorful imagery, extremely funny turns of phrase, incredibly evocative language, and really pretty illustrations. The book very beautifully immortalizes a childhood full of an active and very vivid imagination, lots of friends, and a balance between a cozy and predictible home life (complete with an extended and slightly wacky family) and free range exploration of the coastal topography and town he obviously cherished. This is a book to be enjoyed for many years since Silas and I found different parts funny and engaging based on our various understandings of context and language. This one will grow with us.
I wanted to extend our holiday book collection this year and turned to online recommendation lists, including this one from the Huffington Post. So, Silas is soon to be introduced to Cops and Robbers and Horrible Christmas, as well as A Child's Christmas in Wales. I also scored an excellent used edition of The Nutcracker (the version illustrated by Maurice Sendak) in honor of our inauguration into the ballet this year.
I know that one day Silas may outgrow being read holiday stories and picture books in general, so I am savoring every moment we spend with Jan Brett (Home for Christmas; Christmas Trolls), Cynthia Rylant (Christmas in the Country), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elsa Beskow's Ollie's Ski Trip, Jane Yolen's Owl Moon among many, many others we've amassed. I have to put a big plug in for Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel. This is the very first book Silas asks us to read when we bring down the Christmas stuff from the attic and unpack the beloved box of holiday books. It has just the right combination of creepiness and heart to soothe a 6-year-old's spirit.
And as for all those school gifts? A rustic little jingle bell ornament is my alternative to the Dollar Store schlock, plastic doodads made in China, stickers, 150th pencil or erasers...that have arrived home with Silas over the past couple of years. Don't all kids like jingle bells? This one involves six bells, a yard or so of jute twine, a little ring and ornament hanger and a grosgrain ribbon. All it took was time, and I have the sore thumbs to prove it! Now I just have to individually wrap them. Yikes. Couldn't we just do a $10 gift and have them pick one decent thing? Oh, well. It is what it is. I continue to have my dislike of the United States (and Texas') public school institutions, no offense intended to all the well-meaning and child-loving people who work in Silas school's specifically, and public schools in general.
Day 9 ::: The cookie party
My first experience making and using Royal Icing. Suffice it to say, I learned A LOT!
Quite a few salt dough ornaments were painted and decorated, but I only have this picture (mine), since I got a little distracted and separated from my camera. Can you imagine?
December 10 ::: A day of rest. Decorating a little, making a little. Testing out the hot cocoa mix recipe for inserting in the mugs.
I liked the cocoa. Not too sweet, even better with a tiny bit of milk mixed in....
