Alright! I'm feeling like we're moving quite smoothly now. There's been time for the elves to be working hard, time for magic-making, time for walks through the park with dinosaur personas fully donned, time for feeling cozy on the couch and whipping up a last-minute gift. We're caught up with the activities on our Christmas countdown calendar (thanks, kids, for being so forgiving when our day goes a bit sideways and we agree to do the activity the next day). Oh, and we've been keeping up with our homeschooling too. It hasn't felt hectic. It's felt more like a productive buzz.
And despite what appears to be me abandoning the From Hectic to Harmonious challenge after day 3, I'm happy to report I've preservered. And I didn't squeeze days 4 through 7 into one crazy day either. We've been taking it one day at a time and being somewhat mindful of the spirit of the season.
Days 4 and 5 related to the art of storytelling - the former being a telling of a favorite Christmas story, and the latter being the sharing of memories of our Christmases past. As I was helping Astrin put together a few thoughts for her letter for Santa, it occurred to me that she likely hadn't the foggiest idea who Santa was. We haven't made a trip to see Santa at the mall part of our holiday traditions, and she's too young to remember such a visit even if we faithfully did make a trip. So out came the story 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which describes the "plump jolly old elf" so eloquently. We spend an evening around the supper table sharing little snippets of our favorite memories...mine being the drive to my grandparents (which meant stopping at a restaurant for lunch - a novelty in those days), my husband worrying about Santa not knowing where to deliver his presents while he was away from home, the year the Christmas tree came crashing down in our living room during the wee hours of Christmas morning, the year Boomer (our dog) was a puppy and tried to eat the glass Christmas ornaments...what a heart-warming walk down memory lane we had!
Day 6 was finding an anchor...something to reach for when things happen to get too crazy. The idea is that this anchor will help me center myself and allow me to see what is happening around or inside me with a clear perspective. I've chosen a cup of tea...preferably the "Calming" one made by Yogi Teas, but really...beggars can't be choosers when things get a bit hairy.
Last but not least is Day 7 - today. And today was also easy. We ate our supper by candlelight. The intent was to bring a peacefulness and mindfulness to the meal. I don't know if I will have a truly peaceful meal again while children live in this house, but it was nice to see the candles flickering against the backdrop of a dark, cold winter's night.
So, thank you From Hectic to Harmonious...it appears that your magic is starting to work!
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