Today, we shipped the last of our orders!!!! High five, cheers, heel click, herky. I hope all your loved ones adore their dig goods. We had so much fun making them, for the love of place. Thank you for supporting us and our families.
Now, I get to turn my energy to making gifts for my own people! Margot’s birthday is tomorrow and I never did finish Ruby’s birthday whale. Because mama didn’t/won’t have birthday love made on the birthdays, we will have a little solstice birthday celebration where the girls will get their gifts from me. Also, daddy bought them these sequined vinyl cat purses they’ve been coveting so I’m pretty sure they didn’t/won’t notice the lack of my hippie handmade creatures.
Margot wrote a letter to Santa asking for a little pillow and a little baby unicorn. Ruby didn’t write a letter but feels certain he just knows what she wants. Thankfully, she told me so I can pass it along. Ruby would like a giant glittery, shiny watermelon that she plans to share with our whole family on the living room floor by the fire on Christmas morning.
Also: how do you guys do/not do the Santa thing? Remember how I was all freaked out about my own childhood traumatization in finding out the TRUTH? I’m in a good place with it now. Here’s my approach: I don’t lie. So, my kids ask questions like How does Santa make it to all the homes in all the world in one night? or Does Santa live forever? or Is Santa for real REAL? And my response to it all: Hmm. What do you think? It works well for us. They form their opinions based on their imagination, not my words. We end up having some of my favorite conversations about magic, belief and hope.
My kids are so very much enamored with fairies right now. We had a visiting fairy this last summer. Her name is Lavender Fawn. She winters in Peru so we haven’t heard from her in a while. Tonight, we read a newly checked-out library book . I sat between my kids in the one single bed they choose to sleep in together every night and read this aloud
“Although fairies are indifferent to adults, they love children, for without them they would not exist. It is the children’s belief in them that keeps fairies alive. In turn, fairies…”
Margot sat up and interrupted, “Wait, what? Kids are responsible for fairies being alive? Read that again.”
I did. And continued, “In turn, fairies keep children’s belief in magic alive.”
THAT’S IT.
I do love indulging in the spirit of our family’s way of doing this holiday. Last year, Andy drug a giant wood beam across our snowy field indicating a sleigh had landed. And the whole neighborhood is talking about it, wondering if it’ll happen again this year. Santa comes and eats cookies and fills stockings. The reindeer are always messy with the carrots. Sleigh bells subtly ring from our sunroom just after the kids go to bed.
I don’t have it all figured out and I have indeed felt like my performance challenges my not-lying commitment but mostly, I have rolled with what feels right as it comes up — which is pretty much how I parent in general. I keep reminding myself that I am the only adult I know who experienced the heaviness I felt when learning Santa wasn’t a person who poofed into my living room once a year. But I can’t help but notice that my Margot is just like me in the empathetic, emotional-soul life place. I want to be careful and respectful. She’ll lead the way, I trust.
This year, this season I am even more growing into the understanding that the whole thing isn’t about me or my experience or you or your experience. It is a symbiotic relationship between belief in something you know might not be tangibly real and the magic realness that is this breath. This.
Wait, what? Read that again.
1-3: We all have ski passes this year and, on our first day out, Ruby took her first chair ride-run (not in the backpack). She even skied some powder. It was a big day; 4. Fireside sleep is my her favorite. 5. My favorite chore companion; 6. Photo by Ruby, I’m assuming; I like it; 7-8. Our neighborhood ice rink is happening; 9. Took my girls to the Nutcracker; 10-15. It doesn’t take much snow to sled; 16. My foxy husband; 17. Stringing popcorn. 18. Our new, happy front yard friend arrived anonymously with a note declaring this he is ours for the season and we are to pass it along to a neighbor next year.
ps I asked over on facebook, re: my presentation in April: If you were to come to listen to me and interact with me for a few hours about life, creativity and writing, what would you hope I’d share/offer/receive/contribute/chat about? Hop over there to contribute or do so here, if you’d like. Thanks. x
