The Holly and the Ivy

I was a member of a choir a few years ago. We had a Christmas performance coming up. At our final rehearsal the director instructed us about the dress code: dark pants or skirt with a button up/blouse in your choice of red or green.  What a Christmas-y color scheme!

The day of the concert arrived, and I showed up at the venue wearing a black skirt with a forest green sweater. Although I was in compliance with the dress code, there was a problem: each of the other singers wore a red top. 

In a group of thirty individuals, how did twenty-nine favor red?

By virtue of being the only choir member donning green, it gave the appearance that I either didn't follow instructions or didn't get the memo. 

I still choose green attire for most Christmas events. Because variety is a good thing.

 

Camel on the Ceiling C c C

I have prepared mentally for the moment when my child asks one of those awkward questions. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't put them off or say things like "I'll tell you when you are older". I am prepared to explain puberty and human reproduction with anatomic accuracy upon request.

But I was not prepared to explain the letter C today. Our daughter is only two, but she is very observant. She is learning the letters and sounds. I've been teaching her the sounds of the letters as we read. 

Her: "Snake...SSSnake...Snake starts with S! 
           Kangaroo...K-K-Kangaroo...Kangaroo starts with K! 
           Cow...C-C-Cow starts with K!"

Me: "Cow starts with C. Like Camel and Crab."

Her: "And Kite!"

Me: "No, Kite starts with K."

later...

Her: "Ceiling...Cccceiling...S is for Ceiling!"

Me: "No, C is for Ceiling." 

Her: "Like Sssssssnake!"

Me: "No, Snake starts with S."

She just rolled with it, but I know as she gets older she will need a better explanation. How am I supposed to explain that? I never had a problem with C until now. 

Dr. Suess's ABCs

Chatterbox

We have this little daughter who is very observant. She is learning so many things, and she always needs to talk about what is on her mind. Sometimes the things she says to us and to other people are hilarious. 

Is poop gross?

Are you a nun?

I like your bum!

I like your molars!

What does that spell?

I don't want to be sad!

Am I a yummy burrito?

I don't want an eye patch!

Do you need some privacy?

Do I have chocolate chip eyes?

Do I have a nipple? Do you have a nipple? Can I see it?

Garden follow up

Our garden started out great, but in the end it did not do very well this year. 

Great things: We had a lot of greenery. Our drip system kept the weeds down. Our Roma tomatoes were the perfect size for our daughter to snack on (cherry tomato size). Our zuccini plant had a low yield, so we were able to eat all of the squashes without feeling overwhelmed. 

Not so great things: Our six tomato plants did not yield enough to bottle or make salsa. We had many hot peppers, but we didn't take the time to harvest and store them, so the majority went to waste. The lettuce was bitter. The bean plants were bushy at first but didn't produce anything. The peas roasted in the summer heat. The zucchini plant shaded and overtook the beets. Our raspberry transplants struggled for a couple of weeks and then died. Our red potatoes were tiny.

I think the biggest factor was watering. We were excited about the relative ease of using a drip system. However, we experienced some scorching hot days during the summer while we were troubleshooting the bugs in our sprinkler timer. We went out of town for a few days, and the garden didn't get watered. Besides correcting the watering problem, I think it would help if we had more flowering plants in the yard to attract pollinating insects next year.

As a sidenote, I potted some houseplants, and they died too. The floor was a mess because I had some "help" from a certain toddler.

Here's to a better outcome next year!

Merry Christmas season

The best part about Christmas is the month leading up to it. My mom has always been the guru of Christmas spirit. There was always Christmas music playing in our home during December - a huge variety. From Mannheim Steamroller to Frank Sinatra to Amy Grant, we heard it all. We read Christmas stories - one each night before bed. The traditional movies never got old. We baked cookies and made fudge. The air was filled with Christmas smells: cinnamon, pine, and citrus. Mom loved to decorate the house with crafts, Santa figurines, nativity scenes, and a miniature winter village. 

My dad was also important during Christmas season. Making gingerbread houses out of actual gingerbread is a tradition he started. He would build cozy fires in the fireplace, plow the snow, cut down the Christmas tree in the forest, set up the train track around the Christmas tree, and take us kids to a movie so Mom could finish the shopping and wrapping.

Now that we have long since left home, the Christmas traditions fall on us. The last couple of Christmas seasons have been a bit underwhelming at our house. Last year we went on a week-long trip in December, so we didn't bother to decorate until we returned. We pulled out our little one-foot fake tree to have some holiday spirit a couple of days before Christmas. The year before that we wanted a fresh tree, but there was a price surge, so we waited until the last minute thinking we would find somewhere with a better deal. Newsflash: No one discounts the ugly trees left on the lot on Christmas Eve. To our credit, we did set up a couple of nativity sets, put a few lights up on the house, and deliver an inexpensive gift to some of our neighbors. We weren't exactly the Scrooges or the Cranks, but everything was a bit of an afterthought.

However, this holiday season has started off with flying colors. We already got a tree! It is not decorated yet, but the biggest hurdle - obtaining it - is over. We planned ahead to accomplish some Christmas shopping on Black Friday. And our lights are on the house! 

I've realized that the feeling of Christmas in our home does not just happen automatically. It is created by planning and executing family traditions, as simple as they might be. As parents, this is our task.

Bring on the Christmas music!

We bought it but haven't decorated yet.