On Friday night the PTA at Chloe’s school sponsored an evening of decorating gingerbread houses. With a gumdrop lined roof, heart-shaped candy cane skylight and pretzel windows I think she did a great job! Now our livingroom smells deliciously gingerbready.
Chloe's Gingerbread House
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During the holiday season my sentimentality kicks in to overdrive. I’m sure it is due in part to the completion of a year; the block of time in which we measure our lives. Every single one is significant. Just as the man who is 90 or the child who is 7.
In 2009 after 88 years, my Great Aunt Sophie left this world. In life her universe was small, her pockets were shallow but her heart was big and full. Everything that she gave, she gave with love and meaning. We all know that she loved us all very much.
Two years ago for Christmas she gave me a jar of pistachio nuts with a big gold bow on the top. I didn’t realize until mid-summer that I’d been moving this jar of nuts around the house from room to room. They were no longer being eaten. They were just quietly sitting with their big, gold bow.
Aunt Sophie's Pistachios - 2 Years Later
There is of course some humor in saying that Aunt Sophie is nuts and it does bring levity to loss but, I really think she is. These pistachios mean something to me. They symbolize a piece of her; un-fancy, simple but above all good. We’ll miss “Aunt Snowfee” on Christmas Day but we have lots of warm memories and stories to remember her by.
I love our little, wonky tree outside. It always looks so sweetly awkward to me. Kenny roped some lights through its droopy branches for the holidays.
Our Little Charlie Brown Tree
Chloe has been wearing her Christmas bow headband to school all week. The wonder, the excitement of Christmas in children is fun to observe. My joy comes in watching Chloe’s excitement. I don’t know when I learned to be happy for other people, but I know that I love it.
Chloe and her Christmas Bow
Chloe is my daily reminder that life is so much more fun when you enjoy the small moments. The accumulation of all those small moments throughout the course of a day send you to bed smiling.
“All I want for Christmas is..”
The Fuzzmops' Christmas Tree
There was a time in my life when we were as my mom says, “as poor as church mice.” Growing up this way can really make you long for material things. I can distinctly remember being in elementary school and thinking that kids who went on vacation to Florida were rich. It seemed like such a luxury; an unattainable goal. I could never have imagined my life becoming what it is today.
Those same feelings of finding importance in material objects have driven me to work hard. While we don’t live in a palace and we don’t drive Porsches, we have a pretty comfortable life. And so, here I am with my nice things. In some ways it has been a painful lesson to learn that the nicest things of all are what I’ve had all along. The things that were free: Love, good health and family.
Sure, it sounds cliché. I know it does. Maybe my eyes are open because I don’t have to wonder if I can pay the rent or feed my child. I think my deep thoughts from the heated leather seats of my car while I listen to satellite radio on the way to my office in the morning. I don’t think about them while I’m riding a bicycle to the supermarket with my daughter on the cross bar, like my dad did with me because we couldn’t afford a car. I don’t know if I could have really learned this lesson until I found out that possessions don’t fill your hollow spaces inside.
What Do I Want For Christmas?
The value of a family’s love is immeasurable. It can drive you to overcome obstacles of fear, uncertainty; it can make you be a better you.
I want my family to spend Christmas day together. I want to have a nice meal together. I want us laugh and play and just be our best selves together. I want everyone to go to bed on Christmas night secure in the fact that we love each other.
Christmas doings are underway here at the Fuzzmop house. That means all of the boxes of decorations have come down from the attic. The tree is up and decorated and the lights are up on the outside of house. Admittedly we have scaled back on some things, but there is no shortage of cheer.
My snowman Baldy makes his annual appearance
2009 has been a good year for the three of us. We are all blessed with good health, an awesome family and so much love and support from our friends and family. I feel so fortunate, so grateful, so incredibly lucky.
While we were in Maine visiting Gram in July, we found a beautiful Polyphemus moth laying in the moss on the ground. It’s wings spanned about 4 inches and it was very docile. It did not attempt to fly away while we got a closer look at it. As we went on about our business of playing on the swing, the moth took it’s leave heading back out into the world.
Polyphemus Moth
Waiting to be Decorated
Every year we go as a family to one particular farm and pick a Christmas tree. As a kid I never had a live tree so I’m not sure when this ritual took hold.
Each December the whole family goes excitedly to the lot to find the “right” tree. The right tree is usually a little imperfect, like us. This year Chloe and I picked a tree that has a bald spot on one side, at the bottom of the tree. You can’t see it in the photo, natch, because we turned it to the back. It is the perfect spot to water the tree from. Score! Imperfect things need love.
Aside from a great watering spot, it also perfect for the dog to get in and drink all the tree’s water. I don’t understand the appeal of drinking out of the tree stand but it’s like a magnet for Luna. Maybe if I sprinkle some pine needles in her own water bowl for a little kick she’d like it better?
 Chloe the old Korean Lady |
 Best Cider in the Universe |
 Christmas Donkey |
 I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!! |
 THIS is the place. |
 Regular Non-Crazy Chloe |
Robert Indiana
On our way home from visiting with Gram in Maine this summer, we made a pit stop to visit the Desert of Maine. The tour consisted of a ride around a sandy yard in a trailer. At the tail end of the tour, kids were allowed to go gem mining in one of the dunes. Chloe in her sarcastic delivery said, “What a gyp,” when we were told parents could have 1 minuscule gem if they found one and children could have 3.
Now, my love for roadside attractions and kitschy things is well documented but – out of 4 stars, I would have to give the Desert of Maine about a 1.5. It was pretty… dry. (Thank you! Thank you! I’ll be appearing all week!)
