Through a child's eyes

I've always thought that the holidays, by their nature, are more fun with children.   The excitement, the suspense, the whole thing is bigger and better when you have little ones around to share it with.  Who can resist the big eyes of a child, when they wake up and first see the presents under the tree on Christmas morning? However, no matter what your tradition might be, sometimes with all the hubbub of making the season 'perfect', it can be easy to overlook some of the smaller joys that make the holidays special.

This year, with the economy failing, pocketbooks are a little lighter.   Presents are fewer.   Parties are smaller.  Many people are looking to establish new ways to celebrate.   Some are returning to older traditions like making gifts and charity instead of buying presents.   Others are staying home &   slowing it down... spending more time with their loved ones rather than rushing from event to event.  Whatever the case might be, this turn of events has shifted my focus.    It has stopped me from planning things for my children, and instead helped me to include them in the celebration itself.  The reward has already been immeasurable, and we haven't even hit mid-stride.   

Like many families, we cut down on presents this year.  With less to buy, shopping was easy and  done early.  This meant that some of the things that I usually did myself for the family, could be lingered over and enjoyed by all . . . together.

This year I did the decorations with the boys.    Andrew was enamored with the lights.  He is finally gentle enough to help, so he untangled all the strands, checked that the lights worked, and helped bring them to me as I strung them on the tree.   With every strand he would say, "this is beautiful" or "you are doing a great job Mom".  And he constantly tells me that our tree is the "prettiest in the world!"

Justin finally got to decorate this year.   He was able to put up all the ornaments (even the breakable ones) where he wanted them.   Nathan and I have lots of handmade ornaments from when we were young.  And we have added special ornaments that mark important years in our lives.   Of course, there are all the kids' preschool creations too.   So we took the time as a family to talk about each piece and why it was special to our family.   The kids loved it, and often I will find one of them moving 'their' ornaments to a better vantage point.

So far, every weekend, Nathan has spent time making homemade cookies from handed down family recipes with the boys.  I can't say that my waist line appreciates it, but my kids love it.  They even started their own tradition.   Each boy gets to make and decorate their own cookies.  But when it comes time to eat the cookies, they pick one of their handmade cookies & give it to their brother instead!  It is so sweet to watch them linger over picking just the right cookie to give. 

And who needs parties when there are so many neighborhood Christmas lights?!    In the evenings we have been haunting different neighborhoods to see all of their Holiday decorations.   Often a nativity will spark a discussion about the birth of Jesus or the First Christmas.  A sleigh tends to bring questions about Santa.  And of course, the houses that had lights programmed to holiday music caused quite the interrogation about how it was possible that the lights "knew how to turn on to the beat". 

The kids' heartfelt wonder about the simple things that come with the holidays, has made me smile a lot this month.  It's hard to let the economy get to you when, with every Christmas card, there are exclamations of joy over the pictures sent.  And it's hard to let the idea of fewer presents disappoint you, when your kids stand guard at the window every night in the hopes that they will witness the icicle lights turning on.   And who knew that cutting down our own Christmas tree, for the first time this year, would be a fun way to reconnect as a family for a day?    Or that putting a few construction workers in the Nativity scene would make the kids obsessed about Baby Jesus? 

The holidays this year are definitely different.   But absolutely for the better.

Original post to Silicon Valley Mom's Blog.  When she isn't starting new traditions with her boys, Michelle can be found at Mom Without A Map.