A Cosy Christmas Eve

Reading new books, snuggled up with Daddy

Three precious little heads - all with the exact same colouring. Do I even belong to this family?!

Our Christmas Eve tradition - new books and new PJ's to unwrap!
A little taste of thing to come in the morning!

Sharing holding-rights to the candle

Very, very excited!

Off to see a few Christmas lights with Hot (well, lukewarm!) Chocolates in
their drink bottles!

Cheers, mate!

Blurry but cute

So many magical lights to marvel at!
(Note gumboots due to evening showers...)

He's a Dude - My Own Little Rockstar!

It all began with Eli needing his hair combed, then offering to comb Daddy's

Cracking himself up at the concept!

E-bear then discovered my sunnies and decided to rock them out...
proclaiming 'Take a photo 'dis!'

Lovely Lily (with handbag and unbrushed hair) wants to get in on the photo session.
Why do these two look like they have just stumbled out of a club at 4am!?
Cannot.Stop.Laughing.

And then the shot that has had Mark and I laughing all day.
Eli walks towards me and out of nowhere pulls this pose.
Gold. Seriously gold. This kid, huh... what a dude!

Christmas Traditions - Our Family Way

I love traditions and particularly the fun of building family traditions around Christmas time. Not necessarily traditional traditions mind you! But just finding little routines, ideas and activities that work for our family and bring us together, or help us focus outwards and so on.

My Christmas motto however, is the most effect for the least effort! I hear people all around me talk about how stressful Christmas is, they hate it and can't wait for it to be over - usually they are mothers. I thought I would understand this sentiment when I 'grew up' and started being burdened with all this Christmas stress that seems to be out there, but I guess with almost three kids and all that, I am pretty much classified as a grown up (though I don't feel it!) but I still don't hate Christmas?! In fact I love it more and more each year as my family grows.

I know of course this stress and such must come from various different circumstances or complicated family relations, but for me, I am committed to keeping Christmas enjoyable by keeping it simple. I would rather a very basic and quiet Christmas enjoyed with my family, than an elaborate affair that exhausted me and made me resentful and stressed. Without doubt, these feelings would be absorbed by my family, so how does it benefit them, let alone me? I figure by keeping the expectations simple and manageable, if I as 'Chief Christmas Coordinator' enjoy it, that helps everyone else enjoy it too. I know without doubt my family would rather a happy ham sandwich on Christmas day than a gourmet degustation menu with four styles of baked ham and three different home-made stuffings, served with a side of a cranky, worn out Mama!

Is there anything more traditional than a Daddy and Grandpa staying up till midnight, assembling one very special
Christmas gift!? Thankfully it wasn't on Christmas Eve so not too much pressure!

Aw - so cute, these two working away together on something for the kids!

Hmmm, yes, complex instructions and a whole lotta screws!

I guess because of changing family circumstances and locations as I grew up, I don't really have a lot of high standards or expectations about what Christmas 'should' be. I am grateful for this because it enables me to not feel compelled to maintain some kind of compulsory Christmas standard (even if it means killing myself in the process!), and it also means we get the joy of creating 'our family way' of doing Christmas. So we do the things we want to do, welcome activities and traditions that suit and seem enjoyable or meaningful to us and simply avoid, decline or choose not to do things that seem too burdensome or stressful.

All this means thus far is that Christmas is flexible, fun, relaxed, and family-focused. And  also has the ability to change year on year depending on... you know... life. Yes, I would have loved to do a bunch of baking this year with the kids to gift to friends and neighbours, but due to being 8 months pregnant, sick and in the midst of renos, it just was not going to happen. That's ok. We do what we can do! There are several new traditions and activities I would have loved to start this year that just have not been able to due to life's current situation and while yes, I did feel a little disappointed  I know the kids are perfectly happily with the Christmas experience before them.... really, it would only be myself putting pressure on myself to do more!


Although as I said, I am a sentimental softie for family traditions, I also try to be conscious about not being so bound by them that they become burdensome. If I have time, energy and enthusiasm for things like baking Christmas cookies or making Christmas cards one year, then we will do it - with love and joy. If it feels just like a 'must-do' burden, then we will skip it without guilt! I try to keep gift buying meaningful but not overboard, for close family only and aim to have it all completed by December 1st so there is no frantic last minute rush.

All that said, I like to have a flexible goal of little yearly happenings to incorporate. Here are some of the traditions we have developed so far - 

• Decorating the tree together with Christmas carols playing
• Christmas Book Advent read in front of the tree each night, with lights on, and followed by singing carols together
• Giving gifts to less fortunate children
• New pyjamas and a book given on Christmas Eve
• Going to see the lights on Christmas Eve with  kids in PJs
• Home made cinnamon scrolls to nibble on Christmas morning while we unwrap presents
• Helping the siblings make gifts for each other
• On the years we are home and hosting, we have a big Christmas brunch after the gift opening is done - home made waffles, pastries, croissants, fruit platter, bacon and eggs, fresh juices and so on. Usually followed by a Christmas movie, naps and relaxing, and a mid-afternoon easy lunch. Yes, it probably seems scandalous to not do the whole turkey/ham/seafood thing but it's not a big deal to us and makes the catering stress-free and easy while still yummy!

I had planned this year to incorporate some more service/community-giving activities for the family to do together but it just was out of my abilities so it's something to try again for next year. I can see things continuing to change and grow as our family does and this is something I look forward to! Our Christmas, our family, our way... 

Would love to hear what Christmas is like for your family, and what traditions you grew up with or have developed in your own family that you love - always looking for new ideas to incorporate!

iKid

I have not exactly been rushing to introduce computer wizardry to the kids (in fact, just the opposite) but when gadget-loving Grandpa came to visit, toting his iPad and keen to share some of the fun with them, it is something new and exciting for them to share all together - a sweet little bonding time!

Dad downloads a few simple games and three heads hover closely over the screen, fingers swiping and tapping. 

Before too long the kids are showing him how to play the game!

Loving those tippy toes!

He was singing along quietly to the game tune... precious!

Christmas Tree Decorating

Well, it's only five days before Christmas and the house (and I) are finally recovered enough to set up the tree and all associated hoopla! We would normally be right on that baby come December 1st so I have been just a little eager to get on this!

With Christmas carols jingling in the background, we set up the tree and the kids went to work. Yes, while I placed the nativity and decorations on the side table and front door etc, we watched the kids decorate the entire tree. Not an ornament was missed - every single one was placed on the tree with determination and care. Lily was slightly hysterical with anticipation - sparkly things and decorating!? She was in her element - soooo my girl. Eli was also adorably excited and I could not stop laughing as he somehow strategically decided to place as many blue baubles as he possibly could on one single branch. Every time he placed one, he would bellow and jump up and down shrieking with excitement. My funny little E-bear!

Mama was also happy... I just love pottering around, decorating my little nest with Christmas ornaments that had been tucked up in our big Christmas box - collected since we started our little family eight years ago, and already filled with memories.

My Dad and hubby lounged around, alternating watching and assisting the kids. So chilled out, just how I like it!

Ahhhh.... now this is Christmas! 

Ready to decorate!

Marvelling at his handiwork - a cluster of baubles!

So much care and love in her decorating!

Hmmm... I think this just needs a few more!

E surveys his handiwork.... why yes, this tree appears perfectly balanced! ;)

Lily and Eli both have a special little personalized ornament from
paper boat press with their birth year also engraved on the back. I love them.
Can't wait to add a third precious star in 2013!

Tree all done - time for our Christmas advent book for the night, accompanied by hot chocolate and marshmallows!

Our Christmas Corner. Our little tree looks rather small in this big house (it suited our little townhouse so perfectly) -
perhaps in the future we will look at a bigger one but for now we still love our little glowy white tree!

Ok, I have to admit I 'adjusted' the tree decorations after the kids were in bed. Not so much because I cared about the crazy imbalanced distribution (it was rather charming) but because there is not much more sweetly soothing than sitting there in the glow of the tree, arranging pretty ornaments! Yes, I enjoyed my quiet decorating time and the kids didn't notice in the morning so let's call it a win-win?!

Carols by Candlelight

We have been counting down the days till Carols by Candlelight... the kids have been giddy with excitement and we have been practising our carols with a Christmas CD in the car... every road trip.... over and over and over!! My Dad flew into town today and so off we all went, yummy picnic in tow, to the Carols. It was a gorgeous sunny evening for meeting up with a bunch of other friends - we overlapped our picnic blankets like a gigantic patchwork quilt and settled in for an evening of fun, food and music! Although I had just had a massive, exhausting day I was happy to be 'out and about' for such a sweet community event.

We were having a lovely time, enjoying dinner and the kids dancing and so on, however I noticed that in the midst of having patches of fun and laughter, the kids were alternating the fun with being uncharacteristically whiny, emotional and just a little miserable. I was getting a teensy bit frustrated, starting to think things like 'Ugh, why did we bother doing this?!' and wondering why they kept being so out of sorts when they were sooo excited about this event. Then when I was cuddling with Lily, who kept wanting to lie down on me, I noticed she was totally burning up with a fever.

Oops.

Poor things!! And yes, I felt dreadful (and silly) for not realising and connecting the dots earlier! **blush** So with a slightly more compassionate attitude, we snuggled with the kids and sang a few more carols together as the sun went down, then headed home to put two weary children to bed.

Postscript: Lily seemed worse off than Eli, but they both came home, crashed asleep and slept till 9.30am the next morning! They seemed to bounce back fine the next day so I think it was a fairly mild (thankfully) passing virus or something. Ironically, they spoke so excitedly  about the Carols and recounted every detail with glee, seemingly unaware of how out of sorts they had been! 

A funny way of showing me even when family activities don't go 'to plan' or as smoothly as we the parents might hope, the sweet moments still linger as precious and fun memories in the hearts of our children whilst the bad bits seem to fade away as irrelevant to the memory bank of family bonding... a little helpful motivation to persevere with creating family fun even if it ain't always sunshine and roses!

A boogie with Edmund and Zoe

Always time for a cuddle...

Santa Eli enjoys the 'squeeze Daddy's nose' game once more

Lily checking out Santa's arrival on stage

Eli super impressed with his cool child-friendly candle
(they were giving them out free at the event and suffice to say, extremely popular with the kids!)

Can't get enough of those candle-lit chubby cheeks!

Poor feverish baby girl, fast asleep in the car but still clutching her candle!

It's the final countdown! // Musings on Blogging and Project 366

Less than a month to go!! Yes, somehow, miraculously throughout this roller coaster year, I have blogged a photo (or more!) every.single.day. I don't even know how I have done it!! I have 20 days to go (I think), as I didn't begin till January 12th, whereas many other lovely Project 366 participants have only till December 31st. An amazing milestone for all of us. It has been a really rewarding, challenging and inspiring project, I must say!

Surprisingly, I haven't found it too hard to post a picture a day... in fact I often found myself torn on what moment to share. It has become a ritual, I guess... to sit down at the end of the day after kids are in bed, downloading photos, editing, writing a few (or many!) words... even on my most exhausted days, it has been a quiet way to reflect on the day that has passed, to see a delight captured that perhaps otherwise would have gone unnoticed. In this way, this project has made me so much more aware of my blessings, so much more open-eyed to the quirky little charms of my children (even on their most 'making Mummy crazy' days!), and thankful to be able to notice, capture, and then reflect on the rich treasures found every day in the heart of my little family. 

It now seems almost impossible to not document the delight before me!

A little morning visit to Amber's house, and Eli cruises around on Finn's scooter.
Little does he know he is getting one for Christmas! Shhh.......

Although I started the year almost afraid to put my camera down (why take one photo when I could take 47?!), scared to miss a moment and always trying to capture a 'better' moment or version of events, I quickly learnt that I did not want to live that way every day. I am grateful to be my family's memory maker and documenter, but I do not only want to be an observer - I want to fully participate in our little adventures in life! I do not want the kids to only remember me documenting their lives, always hidden behind the viewfinder. So before too long, I would try to discipline myself - to capture the essence of a moment (even if it was not perfectly, the idea or event is still recorded) then put the camera down and re-enter the moment more fully. I would force myself to leave the camera at home for certain outings, to check off the photo for the day then put the camera aside. It was admittedly hard to turn off my 'oooh, this would make a great photo' mindset at times!! But I really wanted to be deliberate about not only witnessing my world through a camera lense but also to be interactive, present, fully conscious and involved. It is soooo tempting, I discovered, to otherwise pretty much view every moment as a photographic opportunity instead of, you know, real life! As much as I am now passionate about recording moments both big and small, I still believe there is a lot to be said for memories that live only in our hearts...

Scooter Negotiations.Oh, this makes me laugh!! Finn patiently instructing Eli on how to do a loop
around the house (he is a whizz on the scooter!) and rather perplexed when
Eli instead happily just crawls along on the grass and pavement!

This year has been loooong in many ways, and often a blur due to my pregnancy sickness. I am not quite sure how through that haze I still managed to post a photo a day.... although I know many of them were pretty uncreative to say the least! I guess when countless days ticked by with nothing to do but lie in bed feeling miserable, this project encouraged (forced?!) me to look for small moments of joy, and a small sense of accomplishment to at least be able to snap something and upload it whilst lying in bed. Although I can hardly remember those months, I am glad they are not all lost!

As for where to from here... well, with a new little family member soon to arrive - and no telling how three kids under five is going to go - I am not exactly sure! Although I would like to do Project 365 again one day, it won't be next year - I will need to free up some time for this new arrival! ;) And it will be nice to be free to take photos when I feel inspired rather than every day, no matter what. I have to say I have enjoyed having the blog and being able to write ramble about various thoughts... so I think I will try to keep going, perhaps less constrained by posting photos and able  to write more about things on my mind. I am currently thinking I will make a goal to post photos/writings twice a week - but I don't want to be too strict on myself in 2013! Who knows without my Documenting Delight cheer squad if anyone will keep reading (hellooooo... anyone out there?!) but it is mildly therapeutic to have this little online diary, I must say!

For those who have followed along this year (seriously, who ARE you wonderful people?!) I am so grateful! It has been a learning process, sometimes inspiring and often nerve-wracking, but all in all - a surprisingly rich blessing to my life. I am so thankful for this record to look back and reflect on - both for myself and for the kids - and I do plan to make a mega-photo book of this year for concrete evidence of my madness :)

Anyway, I really better calm down, after all, I still have twenty days to go!! Hope I can cross that finish line...