Between the Dark and the Daylight: Christmas adventures

Edith has had a Christmas week of firsts, making for some great small-scale, ordinary-life adventures.

But let's start with the the adventure we're not having: We are deeply envious of all of you enjoying holiday snow. Friends assume that living in Colorado, we must be buried in drifts. And some parts of Colorado to the west of us are indeed: My colleague who was headed winter camping near Wolf Creek Pass couldn't go, because the yurt in which her family was planning to stay was buried under nine feet of snow. Meanwhile, we're receiving email notifications of emergency closings in our old stomping grounds--the Princeton public library, etc.--while the pictures in the New York Times online make us drool with envy. Here on the Front Range, it's as dry, warm and sunny as it has been since we arrived in August. Thanks to Santa we have the snow boots, snow pants, and sled. We have the hills to slide down, too. But you can't do that on dirt and dead grass. So for those of you in winter wonderlands, do take a romp in the snow for us, and enjoy a holiday that looks for once like the greeting cards always portray it.

In the absence of sledding and snow angel opportunities, Edith has made use of her vacation mastering skills. A few days ago she sat down with a set of phonics books that Aunt Debbie sent her a few years ago and patiently sounded out four little stories, all by herself. We have the beginnings of a reader!

She also astonished us last Saturday by committing to learn to knit, doing so, and spending a whole day laboring away cheerfully at a washcloth she plans to give her teacher as a Christmas/baby-shower present. (Her teacher left on vacation early last week, fortunately buying Edith a bit more time on the washcloth.) Yesterday Edith accompanied me to downtown Manitou to find the local Sunday evening knitters' group I'd heard about; we enjoyed a Boxing Day gathering with them, and they were only sorry the 87-year-old regular who started knitting at Edith's age wasn't there to meet her, as she was at home watching a must-see football game.

Edith's final new endeavor this week came about courtesy of Uncle David. When I was growing up, Uncle David was one of those uncle types (there are aunts in this category, too) who always know just the unexpected gift to make you feel thrillingly grown-up at a given age. This year he surprised Edith with her own little digital camera. She spent Christmas afternoon mastering another set of skills--this, our five year old who still can't start the CD player because she never has had the patience to figure out which button is "on"--and then she was launched, documenting Christmas. And so, Christmas at our house through Edith's eyes:

The snake was sticking out of Edith's stocking when she came downstairs, and to my surprise, has been a favorite among her presents. Guess Santa knows her better than I do.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art advent calendar Edith enjoyed opening every morning

The loot

More loot, including Daddy's new banjo

Along with Rattle, the dragon Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon was the other big hit

The Santa Claus that Gigi gave us when Edith was little climbed up and down the ladder to help decorate throughout the Christmas season

Good Christmas stories are a must, though Edith didn't yet get the humor in this classic as fully as I'd expected she would

Even without frightful weather outside, Tom's fires have been delightful

It's hard to be annoyed with your kindergartner for barging in on the toddler's nap when she gets pictures this good

Other than snakes and dragons, horses were the central theme of Edith's Christmas

Clothes were the central theme of Mommy's Christmas. This marked the first Christmas ever that literally every one of her presents (except the orange in the toe of her stocking) was something to wear. It made Edith's current observation--"I don't have to go back to school until Mommy is 35"--feel even more like a sentence to middle age.

Edith's class has started Spanish lessons, and she loves them. "Mommy, what did they call the sun in your Spanish class? El sol? Cool! That's what we call it in mine!"

Our attempt at a fancy dinner (to wit, we turned on the stove, and we sat in the dining room). It's probably just as well that the neighbors we had invited cancelled at the last minute due to sickness. They'd had us over for a lovely Christmas Eve repast the day before, and we figured out then that they probably aren't used to half-burned, half-cold meals made with one or two ingredients per dish.

Edith made the placecards

A butter dish, instead of the usual tub of margarine on the table, was another signal that this was A Fancy Occasion. Oh, and Edith sat at the table and ate her soup steadily until she was done! A new food, no complaining, focus on eating long enough to sit still in a chair for ten minutes = A MAJOR event!

Church activities were numerous during Advent and included a great play for the children that told the story of the life of St. Nicholas (without spoiling Santa Claus). I believe it was written by our local children's minister, but I'd highly recommend she make it more widely available. A great way to forge a connection between Santa and the birth of Jesus, which feel so discordant throughout most of the season, and a welcome activity for restless little people on Christmas Eve morning.

A few more grown-up photos to round out the post:

We got into the swing of things, and Tom lined the roof of the house in lights

Christmas Eve before Santa arrived

Christmas Eve a few hours later

Tom's big first of the season was successfully making his grandfather's recipe for corn pone, a family tradition

The only snow we saw was from afar, at the top of Pike's Peak (beyond the trees and the neighbor's roof)

Who knew Tom harbored a secret wish to learn to play the banjo? It turns out to be one of the few things you can do in downtown Manitou other than buy fudge and knick-knacks. Alice, meanwhile, awaits a reason to wear her new snowpants outdoors.