Holiday Traditions

My boys are 7 almost 8 and a new 5. Legos - argh! so many and yet they keep coming in so I let the g-parents send them..

But, this year I made a new tradition. Arbitrary but still something intended to build on. No real start time - one because I don't have any date for anything being set in stone. So I a dreidel made for hanukkah with their own new box of real art clay and a trip to the potter's wheel - a cool place to make things. Singing the song - Ryder will just start singing it and his dad will go - what are you singing? SO FUN!

For Ryder I am getting him a djembe drum and roller blades.

Dax a piano - (we've been saving for a while) and a full size play stand I'm building custom for him. I'm also making a small sandbox on the patio with digger items. He loooves sand.

Then experiences.

So far this week we've gone to the local credit union and opened each their own savings accounts. They got a lollipop which I pre-checked to be approved by mom and met with a wonderful banker and they each deposited their own money. So cute!

We then "capered" one of their friends as an outting - friend hadn't been feeling well, I explained this and said wouldn't it be lovely...we went to the $ store and and I gave each $1 to get something Kobe would enjoy - (we also made nice little art cards for him but they are mainstream and although of course would appreciate...well, you know) so we showed up at their door and sang to them and gave our gifts and left him and his family smiling and laughing) The boys talked about it as a big "wow" that was kinda fun.

I made a treasure box - this I will be introduced with a story - where we will keep all of our "ideas" to go treasure hunting through the year/s.

We also packed up a big bag of things to send to the Philippines and took it to the folks sending it.

Honestly -- the more we've focused on this in a gentle, subtle part of life - there hasn't been a lot of what's for me. Nor me feeling like - what am I going to get these guys. So not getting caught up in the give me get me, buy me something or any of the frenzy that gets created - it's nice to be able to see what they see. The different holidays that are celebrated are such a nice experience to share with each other in the stories.

Experiences - that's first. Maybe presented in a cool book you made - horse back riding lessons, day at the beach, hot cocoa and light walk, watching home movies when the boys were babies - the best, etc. So many fun things. With the roller blades I've got a 3 day pass with mom to learn to Blade. And with the piano - lessons with a cool teacher. Djembe comes with a drumming circle night out with friends.

Funny, as I am writing Dax came in and said "I have a gift for you" He came in with a wrapped foil of home made marshmallows. He loves to wrap anything and present it as a gift to us and anyone.

This is definitely where I would sit with things. And let it flow to you freely. Oh I read this great thing by Pema - the emotion last only 90 seconds if it lasts longer it's something you are keeping going by telling a story or making it mean something. So, when you feel that "holiday frenzy" gotta buy something to fill some need - sit with it, breathe it in and such and then after 90 seconds we find our way.