I've been unusually seasonal this year with Christmas. We just moved in 2 weeks ago and I'm most excited about decorating for Christmas! Part of it is the East Coast vibe. Even when I was growing up, I liked the colonial houses with one candle in each window -- someone here remarked that's very New England. And I love that we have a little lamp post in front, a la Narnia, because I can't wait to put a garland on it. And I never really cared to have a wreath on the front door but this year I find myself eyeballing them everywhere from Wilson Farm to Stop & Shop. And I usually don't bother with day-after-Christmas sales but this year, I can't wait to go to get some good deals on decor!
I think part of it is also the new house. As I remarked to Tom yesterday: I care about this house. I guess it feels like home, not that we are that used to living here, but it's supposed to be our home for as long as we can see. Unlike our Sunnyvale home where in the back of our minds we were still wondering whether we'd move to the East Coast. This house is big enough, new enough and perfect enough that we can't foresee needing to move for the sake of the house. So with my mind thinking more permanently, then it seems fun to decorate a house that I "care" about. Tom echoed the sentiment, not about the decorating (although he is outside in 37 degree temps with Tobey figuring out how to hang Christmas lights, but that this is a house that he cares about.
Part of it is also the Mom-to-Mom Christmas brunch talk by the women's pastor, Cynthia Fantasia. She talked about traditions and for the first time, I felt like I could actually act on making traditions in our home for the holidays. Maybe because we aren't going to move anymore. Maybe because, as far as OUR plans are concerned, this is probably "it" for the size of our family. Maybe because for the first time in five years the kids are at an age where traditions can be appreciated and done by both kids, when I'm not so frazzled by the thought of parenting much less the additional efforts of the holidays. I immediately set out to do simple gingerbread houses with the kids and ripped a bunch of our holiday CD's into iTunes. I dropped by Michael's yesterday, totally delighted that they were having a big sale on Christmas decor. It was just what I needed to get completely in the holiday mood. I even bought candles for Advent and looked up Advent devotionals we can do with the kids at night. Maybe we'll make ornaments, maybe we'll have one to commemorate each year, maybe we'll make up traditions as they come. But I feel like we can finally start to have traditions.
Last night we had what we thought a very traditional Christmas moment. We went to Lexington Center where they were having a shopping festival. We waited on the town green for Santa's arrival and there was free hot cocoa and cookies courtesy of the Selectmen (like a town council). There were carolers singing traditional Christmas carols that dared to mention the birth of Jesus. Santa arrived on a Lexington FD fire truck and handed out candy canes. Then they lit the town tree, all with progressively "green" LED lights. All in 36 degree temps. The boys had fleece lined jeans, I'm thinking maybe Tom and I need some too.
It truly is a wonderful time of the year and Eli summed it up nicely while Santa gave out candy canes. As he sat on Tom's shoulders amidst the mob hoping for a candy cane, Eli says, "I love this guy!"
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