well, the tree is up, and we are officially in christamas mode. I was planning on waiting another week to get things underway (willow thought that santa was actually coming tonight, and I anticipate three very long weeks ahead of me), but since it has been a very rainy saturday, I decided to go ahead and do it today. We have a very stock-standard fake tree, which has been with us for quite a few years now. Before that, I tried all sorts of living trees, which inevitably ended up either dying or being planted in the garden when I decided I needed something different (please remember, I am a fickle creature). Since having kids, though, I seem to have become a lot more concerned about tradition, and kind of like the idea of having a "family" christmas tree, just like the one my great grandparents' had, albeit a quarter of the size; we had to bend the top over on theirs to fit it into the (high-ceilinged) living room.
There's something about christmas that lets you become less concerned about style, and allow all kinds of tackiness into your home. I look at our tree, and have to wonder when I decided that it was ok to introduce a fake plant into our home, and as for all of those things hanging off it, they wouldn't stand a chance under normal circumstances. But, that's not to say I don't love and cherish every one of them, and remember where they all came from, especially the ones that the kids are now contributing each year, and the ones I've inherited along the way. I think that's the thing that makes christmas time so special, for the rest of the year everything can become a bit random and fast-paced, but when that tree appears in the lounge room, and all of those little decorations start coming out of the box, you are immediately reminded that this is a time that you've celebrated every year, for all of your life, and no matter where you are, or what you're doing, it's always going to be special. (is it still ok to use the word "random"? I cringe whenever I hear it used by some hip and happening young thing lately, but it is still a word, right?)
2 comments:
This really hits home for me today. For the first time since being a kid myself i am finding myself attracted to popcorn strings and paper snowflakes. Arlo thought it was Christmas today too. i guess i didn't explain our advent calendar too clearly. Enjoy the Winter projects with your kids.
oh emma - thank you, thank you, thank you. i am surrounded by very stylish people (some of whom are coming over for christmas dinner) and i'm afraid my christmas isn't sylish enough for them. we too have a fake tree, which is adorned (read overloaded) with a hotchpotch of ornaments and every available space is taken up with various christmas ornaments. the kids love it, and in my heart of hearts, i love it too as it reminds me of christmas' gone. so when i feel i am being 'judged' by those around me, i remind myself, that christmas is for the kids.
hope you all have a happy christmas season - we here in prospect are going nuts with excitement.
cheers
l
x
ps random is still a word, it's just been hijacked by the teens. for emily, everything is random at the moment.
Post a Comment