This is the first year in many years that I am actually looking forward to Christmas. Usually I just try to muddle through the best I can, feigning holiday spirit as required and not giving more much than the bare minimum that’s expected of me.
Under normal circumstances, you could call my “holly jolly” mediocre at best.
This year is different!
Christmas might not suck…
Even though we lost most of our Christmas decorations first, when our cellar flooded, and second, when we had to move and were forced to leave things behind.
Christmas might not suck…
Even though our place is really too tiny for a tree.
Or decorations.
Or, basically, anything.
Christmas might not suck…
Old Sadie and the Christmas Bear, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, illustrated by Patricia Montgomery Newton. Click image to purchase.
Even though we still don’t have money for frills.
Or decorations.
Or, basically, anything. Heh.
Christmas might not suck…
Even though our 21-year-old son is no longer living at home.
And he only stops by every couple weeks.
And he refuses to have a cell phone {not that I blame him} so we can’t ever reach him.
Still. Christmas might not suck.
In spite of all these potentials for heartache and disappointment, I am finally feeling Cindy Lou Who.
Where are you Christmas? I got your Christmas.
It’s somewhere behind my left boob.
Like, where my heart would be.
One of the ways I am sharing my strange feelings of dancing sugar plums is by reading a different Christmas story aloud with my family every night that my daughter spends home with us. It’s been a really fun way to be together and gear up for the potential oncoming stress that December brings.
Here is what we have read thus far*:
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond. Click image to purchase.
Old Sadie and the Christmas Bear, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, illustrated by Patricia Montgomery Newton
This is a sweet story about an almost-blind old woman who treats a sleepless bear as a welcome guest. The bear returns the favor by leaving a gift of his own for the old woman in the form of a warm seat by the fire. It might sound kind of cheesy, I admit, but I promise it is quite heart-warming. We talked about what it means to give presents, and what kinds of things can be a gift. And it’s a fun story to read when it’s particularly cold outside. The illustrations are fabulous – the use of color is sparse and therefore meaningful; for example, blue is only used on the pages concerning the bear, whereas red is only used on the pages concerning the old woman.
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond
This is a family-favorite, based on a continuation of the original story, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by the same author. So funny and cute, it’s a silly story about consequences, and ultimately “what happens next”, which leads back around in a full circle back to what the mouse originally wanted in the first place. We adore this series – the illustrations are funny yet uncomplicated.
Merry Un-Christmas, by Mike Reiss, illustrated by David Catrow
Merry Un-Christmas, by Mike Reiss, illustrated by David Catrow. Click image to purchase.
I have to admit this one is my surprise favorite thus far. It was seriously funny. In this story it is Christmas every day of the year – except one! – which becomes quite humdrum. Opening presents, staying home from school, no mail delivery, holiday dinner, posing for pictures… all of this is the norm. So everyone looks forward to Un-Christmas, because it’s something different. And it ends with the child wishing it could be Un-Christmas every day, which is just cute irony. I was cracking up throughout this book, and the illustrations only add to the humor. Absolutely terrific!
Grandmother Winter, by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Beth Krommes
This story is more of a folktale, in that it explains winter via an old woman who gathers the feathers of geese throughout the year, only to release them as snowflakes when the coldest months. The text is lyrical, almost poetic, and the images are stunning in detail. I liked this book particularly as it concentrates on nature and the seasons of the year as they impact the animals of Earth, as opposed to a religious {commercialized} holiday. This was a wonderful compliment to the other fun books we read, and I was glad for its inclusion in my picks this week.
*Note:
I wrote this a week ago and forgot to publish it, so I have more books to list in future posts. I do recognize that we are halfway through December, with a mere TEN days till Christmas, and I’ve only listed four books here. I’ll get back to you, mmm-kay?
Grandmother Winter, by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Beth Krommes. Click image to purchase.
We can only read together four nights per week, since Abbie spends the other three nights at her dad and step-mom’s house.
And yes – I will admit that, at the age of ten, Abbie is way too old for these stories, if you’re going by reading level. The girl is in fourth grade and reads like she’s in middle school. So the fact that I’m reading down to her isn’t lost on me.
I’m not really concerned about her reading level at this point. I’m more interested in fostering connectedness and warmth and familiarity and comfort and snuggles. We do this activity at bedtime when the giggling is at a high, so it’s a great way to wind down.
Plus?
If she ever gets too old to enjoy Christmas stories then I’ve done something wrong. I might have gone a few years lacking the Christmas spirit, but I never stopped liking books and people and gift-giving.
So. Christmas might not suck…
Because this year we are in our own place, out from under the emotional strings that came with our house.
Because we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel financially.
Because my kids are awesome.
Because my hubz is romantic and sweet and thoughtful and wonderful.
Because I have surrounded myself with some terrific people this year.
Because I survived a surgery with crazy, life-threatening complications.
Bust mostly?
Because I said so.