The Magic Children Make

Children have a way of making things magical. They have a way of reminding us just how beautiful life is. Those moments we had as children that seemed to come alive with a dash of fairy dust are suddenly no longer a distant memory. This is what the holidays are about. It is love. It is happiness. Hope. Joy. It is the glimmer in their eyes that you see which suddenly lights a fire inside your soul.

Before I had children holidays became a hassle more than something I wanted to take part in. As I became an adult I no longer enjoyed this time. I didn't turn into Scrooge, yet I just didn't care about Thanksgiving or Christmas the way I wanted to. It felt busy and rushed.

Then I had my own children.

Over the past few years I get giddy about the Holidays. I try to engage my oldest son (he will be 4 in January) in festivities around each holiday. He is excited for Halloween this week. We have decals on our windows of ghosts, witches, and pumpkins. Yes, I have allowed my child to desecrate my windows by putting those cheap and rather ugly decals on my windows. He loves them. It makes him smile. That is all the reason I need to let him do it. I am eager for Thanksgiving. Of coarse for the  food I will consume, that is a given Yet more so for the day after when I can pull out the Christmas decorations and start putting some cheer into our house.

We have two Elves that also will make their appearance. This will be "Percy's" third Christmas with us and "Sheldon's" second. I tried to get creative with new hiding places and mischief that the elves would get into when Chase was asleep. Every morning he would go looking for them. I tried to take pictures of the scenarios I created. I had intended to make an album of Elf pictures. That never happened, maybe this year.

Percy & Sheldon got into the blocks.

I love the smell of the Christmas tree. We go and cut our tree down and I have vowed to make this a tradition we do every year. I remember going with my grandfather as a child and doing this. I grew up in a home where we had a fake Christmas tree. Going to get a tree as a family is a new tradition for me just as much as it is for my children. Last year Chase brought along his own "tools" to help cut down the tree.

Another tradition I started was getting a special ornament for my children each year. Chase has picked out his own the past two years. Someday when he has his own place and a family of his own he will have his ornaments to take with him. Or as I like to think of it, tiny treasures to remind him of past Christmas'.

I also want my children to appreciate what we have. To realize that the holidays are about creating memories. About sharing in love and laughter. I want to be sure we donate in some way this year. I try to explain to Chase that we should be thankful for what we have. I do my best to try and be grateful for all I have been given. I want to teach the boys to give to others as much as they want for themselves. Our town is having a mitten tree at our local library. I think this is a great way for us to be a part of helping someone in need. It is a reminder that the holidays are truly about how we give to others, how we treat one another, and how we need to love one another.

This holiday season I hope you all find the magic that lives within you. Share that magic. Laugh from deep in your belly. Share your smile with a stranger. Happiness can be a contagious thing.

Making Memories

Every family has their own traditions that they do. Some are handed down from when they were younger as with others are created and made in hopes to carry on.

This past weekend was Vermont Maple Open House Weekend. Last year was the first year we took part in this. I picked three sugar houses that we would try. I vowed last year that we would continue this as a new tradition for our family. This year we actually hit 5! Chase wasn't into it as much as I would have liked but he is still young. It wasn't until the third Sugar House that he gave in to having some syrup and then was hooked!


I want my children to grow up and look back on some of our memories and not only love that we did these things, yet also do them with their own family some day. 

We took the late morning and afternoon and drove from Colchester, to Williston and finished in Shelburne.  These people are so proud of what they do. And they should be! There is a lot of  work that goes into making maple syrup. I also want my children to know this. I want them to respect how hard people work to do what they love.

Poor Farm Sugar Works, Colchester, VT

Let's not forget the yummy factor! The best part is tasting samples. We had samples of syrup, maple cake, whoopie pies, donuts and cotton candy! Sugar does help to make life a little sweeter. We didn't get enough, I had to make breakfast for dinner last night, blueberry pancakes with Vermont Maple Syrup of coarse!