Peaceful Evenings

We babysit the second-grade girl who lives across the street each afternoon. She is with us from the time she gets off the school bus around 2:30 and her parents come home, before 6. Let's just say that the house is not at all peaceful during that time. She is a sweet girl, but having two girls who are very strong willed together is, well, interesting. I feel as if I can't leave the room for more than 10 minutes without hearing Jilly squeal because she's irritated that either the little girl is taunting her for some reason or because she's looking at her. It makes me wonder why anyone would want more than one child....It's not really that bad. The girls have had many more sweet moments together than not, it's just that those annoying times are amplified.

Either way I have employed a new rule: once Mattie is gone we turn on the Christmas CDs, flip on the fire, light candles and try to bring the day down to a peaceful tone by the time Daddy gets home from work. Yesterday was picture perfect.
I have a box that I wrapped with green foil paper a few years ago to hold our collection of Christmas books. It only comes out this time of year and is a virtual treasure chest for my child. She adores books and especially these. She was quite content browsing through and "reading" everything from Curious George's Christmas and Frosty the Snowman to the picture book of Christ's birth and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

It's quite entertaining listening to her. She has an amazing memory, especially when it comes to books, and either recites each page word for word or some version of it. She is so hungry to learn to read and we are working on it, though not as intense as I had planned, but that's OK. Her enthusiasm doesn't show any signs of diminishing.

Having these couple of hours each evening alone with the sounds of Josh Grobin belting out Christmas classics have made a big difference in the way our day ends. It is much more peaceful and joyful. In addition to bringing our home down to that level after a high-energy afternoon is important to me, but I hope that the act of reconnecting with the characters in these special books creates special memories for Jillian as well.

Spirit of Christmas

Last week was one of those weeks. You know the kind when your days seem to blend together and then by the time you get to Sunday you wonder how, or if, anything was really accomplished?

The main source of the crazy week was getting our Christmas decor out and on display. A friend's father-in-law provided our amazing tree this year. It is the most beautiful tree - biggest and freshest - we have had since we were married and this will be the one Christmas that we will be spending the least amount of time at home since we'll be flying to visit my family for the holidays. J and I laughed the two nights it took us to get the tree together - cut to a height that it would fit in the house, purchase additional lights to wrap around it, hang the ornaments. He said that this is the one year that he was not rolling his eyes at the number of ornaments that I have because we clearly needed them to keep the tree from looking bare.

Coming downstairs alone each morning for my quiet time is enhanced now with the lovely glow, both from the tree and the fire place next to it. It is so peaceful and I no longer have memories of the craziness that I felt trying to make things come together while preparing for other activities of the week. I feel as if I can now enjoy the peace that the season brings.