For Posterity's Sake: Week in Review 99

This little space has been quiet for a few days. As much as it tends to feed me: as a holding space for the things I want to remember; as a connection point; and a place to ground myself in the facts of the day, this is December. December walks a bit differently than the other months of the year. It moves as a force of weather and spirit and anticipation. It covers, like snow, making these thirty-one days unrecognizable from the other 334 of the year. No matter how much one loves the season, sometimes it covers you. I'm trying to stay on top of the snow (and the season) this month by changing my perspective. I'm finding that sometimes the best way to make the season brighter (read: less stressful) is to change the way you wear the season. (You know, try that mix-matched pair of gloves on your feet.) It's not that we're doing much less this year, we're just trying a new approach. I'm attempting to make several of our gifts (mostly for the little loves in our lives). Most of these projects come out of hiding after the kids have gone to bed, created piece by piece while snuggled under blankets within the Christmas tree's glow, watching holiday movies. The majority of the gifts I'm not making have been purchased online, again while snuggled under a blanket on the couch or at the table with a cup of hot chocolate. Decorating has also been tackled piece by piece, making ornaments a few at a time, assembling the tree one week and the decorations for the staircase banister the next. I've taken help where I can and when it makes the most sense. Help's most frequent form is Audrey. So far, she's been enlisted to make Christmas tree decorations, cookie dough for a cookie exchange, and elements to go on the Christmas cards. I've spread those few precious hours of weekly free time around. The blog has taken a bit of a backseat some days as I focus on family and the events ahead, with my goal being to enjoy the season and the littlest moments that matter most. Moments like these:

Hide n' seek continues to play a frequent role in our house. As I began writing this post, Nate was playing peek-a-boo with me by darting out from behind the kitchen chair next to me, laughing at my surprised expression, then ducking for cover before repeating his performance. (This makes for very slow, but sweet, writing).

Sunday, Audrey was playing hide 'n seek with us. It was Jason's turn to hide. He had covered himself with couch cushions, accidentally leaving one knee exposed. Rather than "finding" him, when she ran across his bare knee, Audrey laughed and covered it with a pillow.

Wednesday morning I was making breakfast. Audrey asked if she could help. "Yes, but right now I'm doing the mama part." I said.
"What's the Audrey part?" she asked.

That afternoon, while en route to the library, she asked me playfully what color my eyes are.
"I don't know. Are they pink?" I asked.
"No."
"Purple?"
"No."
"Yellow?"
"You're getting close."

Later, she asked if I would be her Mamaw when she was older. I explained that I would be her kids' Mamaw.
"You know what I'm going to name my kids?" she asked.
"No. What are you naming them?"
"If God gives me two kids, I'm naming them Harriet and Treelee."

Jason recently introduced Audrey to a song about Christmas cookies. She asked to hear it Wednesday night. The song explains how a man's wife makes and decorates Christmas cookies each year that he can't resist. Audrey sang along with the lyrics, "Sometimes she waits till I'm asleep and puts those little sprinkly things on top."
"She's kinda sneaky," she said.

Thursday morning, we arrived at Audrey's preschool to find her classroom door still closed. We were hanging up her backpack and removing her hat as it opened. Audrey took off running toward the door.
"Wait a minute," I said. She ran back so I could grab her coat, gave me a hug and kiss and sprinted for the door.
"Have a fun day!" she said tossing her hand back in the air toward me, as the other parents (lined up against the wall with their kids still attached to their legs) laughed.

Thursday afternoon she looked up from a nativity coloring book her class had made at school. "Mom, whose the dad? I don't remember. Moses?"

Friday morning, while attempting to leave the neighborhood for a meeting, we slid on some ice and the car slipped sideways.
"Wee!" Audrey said. "That was like skating or sledding!" (Luckily, the roads in our neighborhood always seem to be in the worse shape snow-removal-wise and the rest of our drive was rather uneventful).

When playing hide 'n seek, we use one little tool to help the seeker find a really good hider. If the seeker yells "Marco," the hider has to respond, "Polo." On Friday, Jason discovered that if he looks at Nate and says, "Marco," Nate will respond with a nonsensical two-syllable word.

Today, the snow has been falling steadily. We've all enjoyed the comfort of a warm house in different ways: Jason relaxing in front of a football game, me working on projects here and there, Audrey rearranging the Christmas tree again, and Nate attempting to taste the snow by putting his tongue against the kitchen window. This is a time of small moments, simple gestures, and the little things that make us cozy - all adding up to one big bright season.