One ornament a year

25 days of Christmas -Day 2

 

Today was our little family’s tree trimming party. The lovely little seven footer arrived two days ago but there was some manipulating to find a space appropriate. My house is small and has no window or corner that just screams “Christmas tree goes here” but we were going to arrange it somehow, even if the dining room table had to go.

I made a Frittata and hot cocoa and we ate dinner with the box of ornaments in the middle of the table looking them over and talking about their significance and beginnings. My parents started the tradition when I was young of giving an ornament every year to each child (six kids is no small expenditure). When I was married I was given my box of ornaments and the anticipation of continuing a happy tradition with my own kids. Opening the ornament box is like seeing an old friend and talking over old times. The kids loved to see the home made stars and bells and trees made out of dough and decorated with paint and glitter from last year.

 

The lights were strung, the carols playing and we hung those little tokens that represent memories. I am not the mom that will re-do the Christmas tree after the little ones go to bed or put the home made semi ugly ornaments to its back. I like to see the family personality in our handiwork. Sure, I might re-distribute the seventeen ornaments in a 6 inch radius or discreetly remove the one large red bow that my daughter put square in the middle…  then again, I might leave it.  

 

 

 

I started reading Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol to the kids this morning. Perhaps a five and six year old are full young to be listening to an Author who uses words like execrable, waggish and excrescence but remarkably they can follow the story. And really, the Christmas Carol is around 100 pages long which means you just have to read five pages a day for twenty days and booya! You’ve read a classic.