Wednesday, December 24, 2008

A Buddhist Christmas

Your First Ornament, Courtesy of Mamaw & Nama



Dear Charlotte,

Today is Christmas Eve!!! Mommy is at work right now, but only for a little bit, and then she'll be home. We're going to do so much today, little one. We've got songs to sing along with, presents to wrap, dinner to make, Christmas movies to watch, and then it will be off to bed before Christmas with the Hurst family tomorrow! And then Christmas with Mamaw and Nama, and Christmas with Grandpa and Grams! It's a good thing you travel well, even with your first cold and your first teeth happening at the same time. You're a busy kid.

What's important to remember about Christmas, Charlotte, is that even though we don't celebrate a Christian Christmas, we celebrate the spirit of the season. That's important. We call it a Buddhist Christmas.

We do interfaith hybrid holidays in our house.

Daddy and Tug are technically Christian, though not affiliated, you and I are Buddhist, and the cat is Jewish (and sort of a bombing-the-dog's-water-bowl-with-a-glass-jar terrorist. Which puts her in league with the Demon Tree. Though we're still not really sure what they're protesting.) And all of that is perfectly okay and normal in our house. We celebrate all manner of holidays and important dates. And we forgive the protests and glass jar-bombings.

You are the luckiest child, Chuck. You are loved beyond measure, and you are surrounded by family and friends who would do anything for you, simply because they care unconditionally for you. There are people in the world who don't have that, and it's important to understand that, and never take it for granted. We have the ability to see the people we love, and to remember the people we can't see. We have a warm, safe place to sleep, and we know without a doubt that we will have something to eat when we wake up. There are people in the world, Charlotte, who don't have that. Many people. I tell your Daddy every day that we are not alone in the world, and that it's not just about us, and it's true. That's why, at Christmas, and every day, we try to do things for the people around us. We try to spread the love and fortune that we are lucky enough to have.

I am so excited to share this holiday, and this life, with you, my daughter. I feel blessed to have every single thing in my life. I am lucky enough to have past memories to look back on, and future memories to look forward to. You have a great-grandfather who can't be with us anymore, and who Mommy remembers with great joy this time of year. He would have been over the moon about you, Charlotte Ophelia. He was a great man, and he lived his life as honestly and proudly as he could. Oh, he wasn't a perfect man by any stretch, but he tried to do right by his family, and he is well-loved and remembered. You have a good bit of his spirit, and nothing is going to make me happier than to introduce you to his memory when you're old enough to understand what I'm saying.

Happy Christmas, sweet child.

Love,

Mommy

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The Aftermath

Tug, the Conquered

Dear Charlotte,


After a dinner party, even the doggie is exhausted.


I couldn't resist.


Love,

Mommy

Monday, December 22, 2008

La Cage aux Follies

A Table Well Spent

Dear Charlotte,

Tonight was our dinner party with your awesomely rowdy uncles Jim and Jesse, and their much calmer, civilized counterparts: Aunt Amy and Aunt Kate.

First off, it should be noted that while I say "awesomely rowdy" and "calmer, civilized" to describe these people, they are the people who, along with Aunt Kindra and Uncle Jason, Daddy and Mommy hold as their dearest friends and loved ones.

That being said, tonight was probably the best night of Mommy's life, not taking away from the day you were born and the day Daddy and I met. You have had a highly eventful and busy week, and every time Mommy expects a meltdown befitting any normal 6 month old, you surprise me and have the time of your life and behave like you're light-years older than your age. (I told you all of this while you were snuggled in my arms upstairs, but it's worth telling you again and again and again).

Someday when you're older, you might understand the reason tonight was the best night of my life. When I moved out on my own, I was a loner. I didn't have much of an interest in roommates, or feel the need to party with large groups of people. You and I are very much alike in the sense that we prefer to absorb and take in what's going on around us, almost to the extent that we forget to participate.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

As I've made my way through the world, my biggest desire and dream has been to throw the kind of dinner party I've only ever seen on television. As usual, my dreams and expectations far outweighed the possibilities of reality. I always pictured the same thing in my perfect vision; a musical composition full of lights, sparkle, and cheer; people bustling in the door and shaking off the cold; plates piled with food, glasses of wine passed and conversations floating, and all of it decorated with a fine mist of holiday cheer.

Tonight, my wish came true.

Tonight, I saw from my viewpoint at the end of the table the vision in my dreams. My dearest friends sat around my beautifully decorated oak dining room table, sipping wine, drinking beer, and (hopefully!) enjoying some homemade chicken alfredo with all the little accoutrements. The demon Christmas tree sat in the background, precariously standing, but standing and cheerfully glowing nonetheless, and my amazing little family sat among them. I sat in my chair, soaking in the atmosphere, and I realized the simplest truth of them all:

I am the luckiest woman on the planet. Tonight, I had friends to cook for, a family to adore, and a simple wood table to hold them all.


There is a scene in the movie "The Birdcage" where they are all dancing and singing before dinner, and one of the lines is, "I could have danced all night."

Charlotte, I hope you will get to experience the feeling that happens when your simplest wish comes true in spectacular fashion. Cuz baby girl, I'm still dancing.

I love you.

Mommy

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Daddy's Revenge

Dear Charlotte,

Daddy would like me to point out that your beloved Demon Tree not only threw itself to the ground in protest, but later that night, when Daddy was walking past it, the Tree decided to take its revenge and mug your father by falling on him.

Directly.

On.

Him.

And now the Tree has been reprimanded twice, and is very sorry. We tried to cheer it up by placing pretty unwrapped presents beneath it. For now, it seems placated.

Love,

Mommy

Friday, December 19, 2008

Demon Tree




Dear Charlotte,



Mommy is sorry she hasn't written in several days. We've been held hostage by the tree above; to be fair, when I took that picture, it looked like a normal, cheery, naked Christmas tree, waiting for the decorating that would make it magical and cheery.


Little did I know it would turn out to be a pine-scented, scrooge-emulating, DEMON TREE!


Here's the long version:


Mommy and Daddy put the tree in its stand on Saturday, and on Monday night, after plenty of settling in and resting and temperature acclimating and such, we broke out the lights, ornaments, and glittery garland with which to be-deck our fabulous tree. You stayed up just long enough to witness the be-sparkling:



You LOVE the Tree: the texture, the sparkly bits, the great height, and the wonderment of the mystery. I think if you could sleep in the tree, or eat it, you definitely would do both. And the Tree seems to love you back, just like every. other. single. thing. you come in contact with.

So we settled in happily with our magical tree. And then Mommy took you to Walmart yesterday for some Christmas shopping, and the Tree was apparently so unhappy it couldn't go with you that it threw itself to the ground in protest. And it broke Daddy's new ornament in the process.

So now we're cleaning up Tree casualty, and we're admonishing the Tree to never do that again.

And Mommy's contemplating switching to a tree made out of gingerbread next year. Though finding a pan large enough may be a challenge.

Charlotte, when the herbacious species start to control the house, you know it's time to re-evaluate your leadership abilities.

Love,

Mommy

Monday, December 15, 2008

Crafty Mommy

Dear Charlotte,





plus


equals


Love,

Mommy



Friday, December 12, 2008

...and the Snowy Mountain Disaster

"Disaster on Snowy Mountain: Gumdrop and the Gang's Desperate Attempt to Survive a Night of Terror"


Dear Charlotte,

So I decided while I was at the store that it would be fun to make a gingerbread house. I found a handy kit that had everything inside, and I brought it home.

Such was the beginning of my demise.

Apparently, my karma faery wasn't the only one drinking on the job today. My artistic faery seems to have taken leave of her senses as well.

So much for "Weekend at Snowy Mountain".

Here endeth the lesson, along with my attempt at making a cute gingerbread house.


Love,

Mommy


Falling Behind the Tree

A Typical Face
Dear Charlotte,
This has been an incredibly busy week at our house. Mommy has been superhero slammed trying to get ready for Christmas. Which usually entails stacks and stacks of lists of the things to do, buy, and organize before we start making the rounds to visit all of our families. Which reminds me. They should invent a gift-wrapping machine.
This year is a little different for us, because you'll be part of the family road trip equation. If you thought Thanksgiving involved lots of family and driving, Christmas is going to blow your mind. We're talking the Hurst family re-enactment of 8 Crazy Nights. Cuz that's what it is. 7 Christmas celebrations in 8 nights. (Note to future you: if ever, EVER, the word divorce crosses your mind, just think about how many different families you grew up having to visit on holidays, and don't inflict that on your children.)
I read another blog this morning while I was sipping my raspberry tea at my desk at work, and it mentioned Christmas trees, and how they bought the huge tree, but also more, tiny Charlie Brown trees for each of the kids to decorate however they chose. That inspired me to do the same for you when you are old enough to decorate your own tree. Or age one, whichever comes first. You are already proving that once you get an idea stuck in your head, you don't let it go until you've mastered it. And once you've mastered it, watch out.
I could easily be the happiest person in the universe spending my every waking moment playing on the floor with you and Daddy and the dog, buying Christmas presents, and taking baths with Lush's amazing bath bombs. But since I haven't figured out how to convince the world that money is overrated, I cannot stop earning it (which would free up all of my time to perform said activities above), and thus I will continue my days trying to find the happy in everything I do. And I will continue to try and see everything through your eyes, with their magical ability to find joy in every little speck of life.
Love,
Mommy




Sunday, December 7, 2008

Popcorn is Best in Moderation (Or Not)

Dear Charlotte,

Last night we went to your Aunt Kindra's annual popcorn ball party. You had such a blast! You were there last year, of course, but you don't know it, as you were barely a multi-celled organism in Mommy's tummy at that point.

You got to see all of your cousins and aunts and uncles. When we were getting ready to leave, Aunt Kindra's mommy Barbie told us to plan on the same time next year for the party; that got Mommy to realize that next year, we will have three toddlers and a school-age child at the party with us (if not more children!). This year, we had two toddlers and two babies. Last year, it was a toddler and a baby.

This makes Mommy feel old.

Today, we are supposed to be working on Christmas decorations, but everyone is tired from the big hubbub last night, so Mommy is going to work on cleaning the poor neglected house, and then she is going to work on Christmas presents for everyone!

Hooray, Christmas!

Love,
Mommy

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Finer Points

Dear Charlotte,

Daddy would like me to clarify a few things about the Christmas story I told you regarding Mommy the Magical Elf. Mommy believes that these technicalities would muddle the overall intent of the story, but Daddy seems intent on making fun of the story otherwise. So, much to my displeasure, here are some rather obvious disclaimers:

Technically, Daddy doesn't glow.
Neither does Mommy.
Though she would like to.
Technically, you have FOUR Grandma Elves.
None of whom are actually called "Grandma".
None of them glow either.
Technically, we shouldn't call Mr. Casper "Casper", because, well, it's not a very nice way to reference the oddly pale color of his skin.
Crankshaft, however, doesn't mind being called Crankshaft because, well, he is.
Technically, you, as Duds the Littlest Elf, aren't able to actually speak so much as focus your laserbeam gaze on me and project your thoughts into my head.
(That last one might have been a tad overreaching)
So there you have it.
Love,
Mommy

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Because It's Freaking Christmas, Casper Scrooge!


Dear Charlotte,
Once Upon A Time there lived an elf named Mommy. Mommy lived in her little hut with Daddy the elf, and Duds the Littlest Elf. Every day, Mommy went to her job with her boss, Crankshaft, and her co-worker, Mr. Casper. Everything was normal until one day, a magical sound rose through the air. When the sound reached Mommy's ears, a funny thing happened.
Her toes twitched
and her nose itched
and a warm glow started to spread
from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.
And when Daddy saw it start, he smiled. He'd seen this before; it happened every year, at just the same time. "It's almost time," he winked to Duds the Littlest Elf. "Soon you'll see."
And when Grandma Elf saw it, she smiled. "It's coming," she whispered to Duds.
"What is it?" Duds asked.
"Christmas!" Grandma said. "Soon you'll understand."
And as time went on, the glow started to spread. Duds watched as Daddy started to glow; then, Grandma started to glow! Duds wondered when she would glow too. The sound was everywhere now; all around Duds, other elves were glowing, though none as brightly as Mommy.
Then one day, Mommy took Duds to work with her. Duds was so excited! She wanted to see Crankshaft and Mr. Casper glow just like Mommy. Would their noses itch, and their toes twitch? But when she and Mommy arrived at work, something strange was going on. The sound wasn't here. And when Duds saw Mr. Casper, she gasped. He was gone! In his place was a terrible, shrunken gray man with a scowl on his face.
"Where is Mr. Casper?" Duds asked, horrified. She clung to Mommy's shirt.
"That's Casper Scrooge," Mommy whispered. Her glow was completely gone now.
Duds thought Mommy's work was strange. There was no glow, no happy sound. Crankshaft seemed to be oblivious to everything around him, while Casper Scrooge scowled and complained all day long. And Duds missed the sound; when she snuggled up to Mommy real close and pressed her ear to her heart, she could hear the sound, very very faintly. Several times, Duds watched as Mommy's toes started to twitch. The first few times, the toes stopped on their own. But as the day wore on, the toes refused to stop. Then Mommy started to hum under her breath. Duds looked carefully, and the glow was back! It was in Mommy's eyes, creeping out along her cheeks.
But just then, Casper Scrooge looked up and glared at Mommy. "None of that!" he screeched in a gravelly, whining voice. "You cannot ignore our deal! Until the month is past, those toes cannot twitch, that nose cannot itch. There will be no glow here!"
Duds watched, heartbroken, as the glow retreated back into Mommy's eyes, and the toes stopped twitching. A small sigh escaped Mommy's lips, and she went back to work. Duds watched all the rest of the day, but the glow never returned.
It was like that for a long time. Days and days. Mommy would leave every morning, the wonderful glow surrounding her, but when she returned from work, the glow was gone. Daddy would take Mommy in his arms, and the glow would slowly return, but never as brightly as the first time Duds saw it.

Then one day, Mommy came home from work, and she was glowing more brightly than Duds had ever seen! She swept Duds up in her arms and danced her around the room.
"Oh, Duds, can you feel it? Do you sense that something is in the air? It's Christmas! It's coming so soon! Just 23 days." Then she set Duds down, and continued to spin. Then she showed Duds a photo. It was the prettiest tree Duds had ever seen. It sparkled and shone bits of red and spots of gold. And atop it all, there was a miniature snowman. "That's the tree at my work that I decorated today," Mommy sang. "And it sits atop the filing cabinet, and shines and shines."
"But Mommy," Duds said, both dazzled and confused by this new transformation. "What about Casper Scrooge?"
"We don't have to worry about him anymore," Mommy answered. "You see, Casper Scrooge hates Christmas. He feels no joy for it, and thus thinks that no one should feel any joy. Many months ago, he forced me to make a deal with him. I promised that not a word of Christmas, not a twitch nor an itch, would appear in our office, until it was time for Christmas. Casper Scrooge thought he had me beat, but he forgot one thing. The time for Christmas is now! It's December, the month of Christmas! So this very morning, I strode purposefully to the storage closet, and I took out my little Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and I decorated it beautifully so that it sparkled and shined! And when Casper Scrooge saw the tree, he shouted, 'No! You must honor the deal! There can be no Christmas here!' but I said, 'Oh yes, Casper Scrooge, there is Christmas here! The deal is done! The month of Christmas is here!' And then, Duds, then I could feel it!"
My toes twitched
and my nose itched
and I started to glow
from the top of my head to the tips of my toes!
And Duds saw the glow. And she heard the sound. And she knew that Christmas was finally, at last, here.
Listen to me now, Charlotte. There will always be the Scrooges of the world trying to take away your glow. But you hold tight! There is magic, and love, and I can't wait to put up our Christmas lights at home so that you can see it all firsthand.
I love you.
Love,
Mommy