My lovelies, it’s been this kind of week:
Everyone’s wiped, but there are still 3 weeks of school left before the winter holidays. 19 days until we pick up our dog, Mac. The four-year-old is sick and I’ve been at home with her, cuddling and reading and taking 2 hours to measure and mix a simple cake.
And in this season of countdowns, we’ve just set up an advent calendar that has, most unexpectedly, helped change the way I think about December. Behold!
(I hasten to point out that I didn’t make it. I bought it from a local artisan, Sienna of Knits’n’Veggies, who also makes amazing play food, including sushi. And while I’m on the subject, I didn’t make the quilt, either. It’s a beloved gift from Chasing Lightning Bugs. And the photograph is by our dear friend Tom Pietrasik.)
But Nick and I get to fill the advent calendar, and we’ve had so much fun planning what to include. Some chocolate, of course. Ice skating. Really corny jokes. Tree-trimming. A few art supplies. And some charitable projects, to try to balance the seasonal momentum to git-git-git (à la Lucy from Peanuts).
Most surprisingly – though maybe I shouldn’t find it so surprising – the act of thinking carefully about each day, and what it might hold, is bringing me into the moment. December is so often a roller-coaster of parties and activities and late nights and germs and early mornings that feel like punishments. But so far (I know it’s early!), the advent calendar has me considering balance, rhythm, and how we want to weight our holiday season. I didn’t realize it when I bought that string of mittens, but it’s a gift to me, too.
How’s your December starting out, friends? And how do you maintain balance through the season?
Leave a Reply