We've put up our advent envelopes a little early.
Two reasons, Ruben asking a few days running "Is Christmas tomorrow?" and also he's started to recognise some written numbers. So together we sorted them in order and pegged them up. It took a deliciously long time. Below are some of the little cards that were inside last year; many activities, some small (sweep up the leaves in the garden, have a bath with bubbles) and some large (Go to the theatre, make snow-globes).
I am not religious and I am wary of Christmas being purely a vehicle for receiving gifts. Ruben already identifies Christmas as when "Father Christmas brings presents". I want to shift things more onto the giving. And I need to find more meaningful rituals that articulate what I believe and that can be shared. And before that I've got to reflect some on what it is I believe... Christ there's a lot to do.
In the meantime I'm replenishing some of the cards inside the advent days, activities with more emphasis on others and our community. I'd like to incorporate some of Keri Smith's Guerrilla Christmas ideas: leave anonymous gifts, decorate a tree in the park, make a special tea for our 85 year old neighbour. Perhaps a first foray into social action with a mini dog-poo protest like Lizette Greco's daughter's idea of making flags (I call dog-shit"urban mines").
Homemade gifts are getting planned. We already made a set of "Snap" cards (memory game or concentration). This worked best when one of us painted a picture, then gave it to the other to make the pair. In fact I managed to entertain both my mother and Ruben with this activity (guess who painted which?). I thought I was a genius with the idea that we make Snap sets from moo cards, but found that, of course, it's been done. Still it's a great idea and would be a perfect cracker gift. Yes we'll be making our own crackers, despite the fact it's cheaper to buy them ready-made than to buy just the cracker "snap" that goes in the middle. I might post how we make ours. I wrote that so I'll have to do it?
5 comments:
now you really must post your cracker 'snap' how to - I'll sure love to learn and try to make one.
when I was a kid one of my aunts worked in a import/export company and got some of those huge candys (at least that's what they seemed to me then as they where not know at all here in Portugal) and it was a really fun Christmas.
I loved this.
Make snow globes, dance like a crazy person (i want flickr pictures)...can I stay for the month of December in Nof London :)
hugs.
Mary
Lucky Ruben! He seems to have the best mother!!!
Oh yes crackers are like huge sweets aren't they. Huge sweets that bang, a kid's fantasy. Funny that something so British was made in Portugal. I will try my best to photo the process!
And mary I will try to photo the activities too! But the light in my flat is getting so thin and I hate flash...
Olga, Ruben takes the rough with the smooth - that's the thing about blogs, we can select the choice bits to share. Thanks anyway!
:) lovely idea!
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