It is now official. I have entered the world of Christmas programs. Isabelle had her very first Christmas program yesterday... her debut. At three years old it was pretty much hysterical as well as quick. Nonetheless, the church where her preschool is held was packed to the rafters (literally, the choir loft was full) with parents, grandparents, and siblings all anxious to watch their own "little person" in their moment of glory.
And sure enough, Isabelle paraded out in her brand new jumper and black ballet slippers, sporting a Santa hat that was crammed onto her head in such a fashion that I had a flash of her as a cross between Happy and Dopey of the Seven dwarfs (something with her big round cheeks and the way she was walking and her grin, big enough to light up the church by herself) Standing right in the middle of her fellow classmates, she sang all three of her songs, "Jingle, jingle," "Hat, whiskers, belt, and boots," and "If you are glad it's Christmas time say Ho, Ho!" She even did little bows in between the songs.
Of course, I turned into the typical fool of a parent and waved at her like an idiot, semi-stood to get pictures, craned my neck in various directions, oohed and aahed, clapped enthusiastically, and totally and utterly failed to even notice any of the other children at all. I had eyes only for my Isabelle. The whole program lasted maybe seven minutes. And it was totally worth it.
Our kids can turn us into complete morons and what perhaps is even better is that we do not mind in the slightest ...... so, what if you think I am a complete geek? I was watching my daughter sing about Christmas, and she is only going to be three once, right? Besides, someday when she is like twenty-six I am going to tease her about how big her cheeks looked with that Santa hat mashed on her noggin and how proud she was of herself standing up there (and then she is going to rip on me because I am going to get teary-eyed remembering it) and it will be great because that is what Christmas should be all about anyway. So, there is another really good Christmas memory to file away.
Tree Update: Will wonders never cease? For the first time since Isabelle entered this world our tree has thus far remained in the upright position without once taking a nosedive (pause to knock on all wood at hand) May I add that it is a truly beautiful tree this year, we picked exceptionally well, and I am remaining cautiously optimistic that all will be fine (barring any assaults upon the tree by the cats or Isabelle, of course.)
Friday, December 12, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Christmas Magic
I like to think we all still have that little thing in Christmas that is magic to us. Ya know, that one little item/tradition/habit that for even just a millisecond makes us forget the adult we have become and remember the kid we once were. In the movie, "The Polar Express" it is the little jingle bell from the harness of Santa's reindeer ..... for me it is and always has been the snow globe.
This came to mind this past Saturday as I began pulling out the Christmas decor, putting up my various Santas and snowmen and evergreen garlands around the house. The tree will be done later and will take much longer, getting its own day or days (as you all know from previous blogs on it! We will see how this year goes!) but what I really am always anxious to get to are my collection of snow globes. I began my collection after I got married, but my fascination with them started long before when I was just a girl. I cannot pin point when it began or even a particular globe. They were always just mesmerizing to me. I could sit and gaze into them, watching the snow fall silently down and imagine an entire little world encompassed inside, perhaps with its own set of little people. I would create entire stories in my head of what happened inside the snow globe.
Now as an adult I still find the same magic, carefully removing each from their box and examining them anew. Each is like a cherished friend to me and, indeed, many are from friends and family. One of my favorites, a huge silver-based one, holds three beautiful Christmas trees, unadorned except for white snow on their branches and the sparkling snow that falls in the globe. It plays "Oh Christmas Tree" as all three trees silently rotate inside the globe and was given to me by my dear friend, Mel. The first one Clay gave me is another cherished favorite and one that inspires many childhood fantasies within my head, for it holds a small cottage inside, complete with frosted windows that actually light up from a switch on the bottom. It also has a rock strewn stream, deer, and pine trees and plays "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." And, of course, I have the whimsical ones, with Rudolph or a bear snowman or little ones, with a Christmas Mickey Mouse, and even an older one that had been in my Grandma B's possession. The water is murky, but the Santa and sleigh full of toys is no less dear. My brother and Chrissy even managed one year to find a Breyer horse Christmas snow globe, combining one love with another since when I was younger I collected Breyers (I still have all of them packed away and let me tell you that is a LARGE collection).
I have three or four from Eddie Bauer which makes lovely wood-based globes with cute log cabins inside. Last winter we woke in the dead of night to a crash in the kitchen to discover that a shelf had come loose from the wall .... on it had been my favorite Eddie Bauer snow globe, a simple log cabin which I had left out long after Christmas as it was truly more of a winter scene as opposed to a Christmas one. I recall picking up the tiny shards of glass and placing them in the trash with tears streaming down my face. I felt ridiculous for crying over a snow globe but somehow I just could not stop. I was sad because Clay had given it to me, but it was more than that. For me when that snow globe broke it was like losing a tiny piece of that Christmas magic or that childhood wonder, so I guess it hurt just that little bit more.
Of course, every year brings new snow globes to the collection and I eagerly await to see what "Santa" will bring me this year. I also am training a new recruit in the art of loving snow globes and Isabelle is an avid disciple. She begs me to play their music and all must be kept well out of reach of her three year old hands as they are just way too tempting. Of course, I completely understand. After all, I think they are magic too!
This came to mind this past Saturday as I began pulling out the Christmas decor, putting up my various Santas and snowmen and evergreen garlands around the house. The tree will be done later and will take much longer, getting its own day or days (as you all know from previous blogs on it! We will see how this year goes!) but what I really am always anxious to get to are my collection of snow globes. I began my collection after I got married, but my fascination with them started long before when I was just a girl. I cannot pin point when it began or even a particular globe. They were always just mesmerizing to me. I could sit and gaze into them, watching the snow fall silently down and imagine an entire little world encompassed inside, perhaps with its own set of little people. I would create entire stories in my head of what happened inside the snow globe.
Now as an adult I still find the same magic, carefully removing each from their box and examining them anew. Each is like a cherished friend to me and, indeed, many are from friends and family. One of my favorites, a huge silver-based one, holds three beautiful Christmas trees, unadorned except for white snow on their branches and the sparkling snow that falls in the globe. It plays "Oh Christmas Tree" as all three trees silently rotate inside the globe and was given to me by my dear friend, Mel. The first one Clay gave me is another cherished favorite and one that inspires many childhood fantasies within my head, for it holds a small cottage inside, complete with frosted windows that actually light up from a switch on the bottom. It also has a rock strewn stream, deer, and pine trees and plays "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." And, of course, I have the whimsical ones, with Rudolph or a bear snowman or little ones, with a Christmas Mickey Mouse, and even an older one that had been in my Grandma B's possession. The water is murky, but the Santa and sleigh full of toys is no less dear. My brother and Chrissy even managed one year to find a Breyer horse Christmas snow globe, combining one love with another since when I was younger I collected Breyers (I still have all of them packed away and let me tell you that is a LARGE collection).
I have three or four from Eddie Bauer which makes lovely wood-based globes with cute log cabins inside. Last winter we woke in the dead of night to a crash in the kitchen to discover that a shelf had come loose from the wall .... on it had been my favorite Eddie Bauer snow globe, a simple log cabin which I had left out long after Christmas as it was truly more of a winter scene as opposed to a Christmas one. I recall picking up the tiny shards of glass and placing them in the trash with tears streaming down my face. I felt ridiculous for crying over a snow globe but somehow I just could not stop. I was sad because Clay had given it to me, but it was more than that. For me when that snow globe broke it was like losing a tiny piece of that Christmas magic or that childhood wonder, so I guess it hurt just that little bit more.
Of course, every year brings new snow globes to the collection and I eagerly await to see what "Santa" will bring me this year. I also am training a new recruit in the art of loving snow globes and Isabelle is an avid disciple. She begs me to play their music and all must be kept well out of reach of her three year old hands as they are just way too tempting. Of course, I completely understand. After all, I think they are magic too!
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