Christmas Crisis

I'm having a hard time with Christmas this year.

Maybe it's because this is the first time in three years that we are celebrating in our own home; maybe it's because we are in the middle of summer here; maybe it's because we now have kids who need to be taught about what Christmas really is; maybe it's because of all the consumerism and economics of the season; maybe it's because I'm trying to lose weight and save money. I'm not really sure, all I know is it's been weighing heavily on my heart these past few weeks. I don't even want to play Christmas music, decorate or bake "Christmas" cookies. It just doesn't feel like Christmas.

Here in Brazil, we don't really celebrate Thanksgiving or Halloween and so the Christmas season seems to be extra important. As early as October I noticed Christmas decorations going up in the shops. The malls here go all out with massive displays of green and red wreathes, strings of lights, giant trees, reindeer, snow(!?) and of course, Santa. There is a huge hype, this rush, this frenzied madness of parties and shopping all culminating in "Christmas Day" and while it is all very pretty and engaging and charming, it really misses the point entirely. This I think is what saddens me the most. I know that Christmas has all kinds of baggage; no doubt you will find someone who will explain away all the Christmas traditions by linking them to some pagan or secular custom from the world's often not-so-pretty history.

Despite the way "Christmas" originated and the many ways it has been changed and re-interpreted over the centuries, I think we have to admit that for the most part Christmas is no longer a "Christian" holiday (if it ever really was). So now what? It's not so much the "pagan" rituals or customs that were included in the celebration of Christmas that bothers me, it's the fact that now we seem to have put so much more emphasis on the decorations and the gifts and other "traditions" that we have lost sight of the simple, incredible fact that we are trying to remember and celebrate the most important life this world has ever known. The life that gives meaning to our lives.

As I've been mulling this over the past few weeks (this post was probably started at the beginning of December) a few thoughts have been forming...

1. Christmas is not a day, it is a season. It doesn't matter if we celebrate on the 24th, the 28th or even in January. What matters is what (or rather who) we are celebrating. As Christians we celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ, but it doesn't stop there - throughout the year we have other seasons where we celebrate other seasons of His life - his ministry, death and resurrection. We celebrate not only that he lived, but that he died and lives again. Christmas is only the beginning...

2. A friend of mine posted this on his facebook status a while ago, "Christ did not incarnate to fight against culture, but to transform it. Why should His disciples do any differently?" (Flavio Silva). I'm not sure if he was referring to Christmas, but when I read it, I immediately thought of its application to our celebration of Christmas. We don't need to give up Christmas, but I think we need to be different in the way we celebrate, so that people can tell it's not just about the holidays, food, gifts and decorations. We need to transform the culture of Christmas.

3. As I thought more about how to celebrate Christmas I thought of this scripture, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15). If we celebrate differently, we will have opportunities to share the hope we have.

So don't call me Scrooge (now that's a whole other ball of wax...) but we are definitely celebrating Christmas differently this year - no Santa, no huge pile of gifts, no Christmas tree, no "Christmas" songs about reindeer, snow, mistletoe and elves - just sincere acknowledgment, gratitude and thankfulness for the one simple life we celebrate at Christmas - Christ.

A Children's Dozen

I'm sure you've all heard the expression, "A Baker's Dozen" - meaning 13 (or rarely 14) instead of the usual 12 we would count in a dozen.

Now I've come to discover that with kids, a dozen is more likely to be only 11 - thus, the "children's dozen".

Let me explain. We have lots of wonderful toys; cars, dolls, stuffed animals, balls, blocks and books. And then there are the toys that come in a set of 12; a set of 12 books, 12 flash cards, 12 stacking cups.

Here's where we run into trouble. These sets of 12 rarely stay that way. Here are three sets that have become a children's dozen:

Dr. Seuss Concept Cards
The fate of the 12th card was sealed when Elena learned she could fold it in half. It didn't last long after that. What color is missing?




















The Stackable Cups
We love this set that Lucas got from Aunt Charissa. While we lost a cup, at least it was the top one so we can still make an awesome tower. I wonder if there is any way to replace the one missing cup?



















The Set of Books

A lovely set of books (and our much-loved monitor nestled in between) with a set of colors and a set of shapes. It pains my perfectionist heart to have five on one side and six on the other. Since we got this as a used set, we have no idea where the lost circle book is. :(










Of course, the kids have no problem with a lost toy here and there, it's really just my problem.
Well, at least we've still got all 26 books from our Baby Einstein Alphabooks set! Let's see how long it lasts (Elena got it for her first birthday)

What I love about our not-so-new apartment

I love that the kids room is right across the hall from ours,

I love that David and I have our own bathroom,

I love that there is a window between the kitchen and dining/living room,

I love that we have a varanda,

I love the quiet street and the bakery across the road,

I love the view and the gorgeous morning sun that streams in through the window,

I love that Lucas' preschool is right next door,

Lots to be thankful for!

Language and Personality

Talkative. Shy. Sarcastic. Witty. Timid. Smart. Awkward. Funny. Mean. Caring. Thoughtful. Genuine. Extroverted. Outgoing. You can tell a lot from what a person says and how they say it. The words they use and the way they communicate. Their body language and expressions. We infer a lot about someone's personality from their language. You form an impression based on what you hear and how you interact.

So what happens when you can't say much? Or anything at all? When I first visited Brazil it was "smile, nod and try to look interesting." The connections I made with people here were basically limited to those who could speak English. It is very easy to forget someone who doesn't say anything.

I wonder how I came across in my early trips to Brazil when my Portuguese was non-existent? Different personality traits can come across when you can't communicate. Proud. Dumb. Introverted. Insecure. When I first started at boarding school many people thought I was snobby because I was so quiet, while in reality I was extremely shy and often intimidated by others.

So as I find myself trying to integrate into a new culture with a new language, I sometimes feel like the Facebook icon - just a featureless face, a blank canvas. I am still learning the basics of Portuguese - the phrases that all newcomers learn, the standard questions and responses. While this is all very helpful and necessary, it also feels very robotic and cliché. It is hard to really express who I am in this new language. I am able to communicate, yes, but do I really come across? Because my language feels so limited, what people can understand and know about me is also limited.

I remember having a conversation with some Brazilian friends who speak both English and Portuguese and lamenting how the "formal" Portuguese I was learning in my classes seemed so far removed from the Portuguese I heard spoken all around me. I guess this is the case in all languages - what often distinguishes the native speakers is their use of idiom, those phrases that are used so often and are so hard to translate. I find it extremely humorous that the words idiom and idiot are so similar sounding; if you don't use an idiom right, you can sound like an idiot! Of course, most people are encouraging and helpful and appreciate your efforts to speak their language.

So I press on, making mistakes daily and slowly coming closer to feeling like speaking Portuguese will one day come naturally to me and people will be able to see the full picture of who I am.

Horário de verão

Alternate title: How I get daylight savings to work for me.

We just "lost" an hour. Sometime in the middle of the night a lot of our clocks (and other devices with clocks) skipped an hour so we can switch one of our daylight hours to the other end of the day. A lot of people are complaining about losing that hour, having to get up earlier and the general confusion regarding daylight savings.

I, however, feel like I've gained an hour. Sounds crazy but let me enlighten you. Last year when North America went off daylight savings (ie turning the clocks back an hour), a cousin of mine remarked that when you have small kids you don't feel like you've gained an hour; in reality it feels like you are losing an hour. Your kids still wake up at the same time but you've convinced yourself it is actually an hour earlier - so you have one more hour to fill entertaining and caring for your darling little ones. Plus sometimes they can be a wreck with changing bedtimes etc. And if you try putting them to bed an hour later the night before, they will either get up at the same time as usual or earlier just to spite your efforts.

So, this morning (quite oblivious to the time change) when my kids both woke up 5:30 - I was despairing over my lost sleep and contemplating what I could do to get a little more rest. It didn't help that we were sleeping over at my in-laws in the living room. Lucas went straight to the kitchen asking for a snack (thereby waking up Elena) and that was the end of sleep for me. I decided to turn on the TV for them a bit so I could doze a little. Imagine my surprise when the show that I expected to be on was over an hour ago! Then it clicked - and somehow that hour of "lost" sleep seemed to me to have been gained! It's the perfect motivation to get going in the morning and the best excuse to get the kids to bed an hour earlier! So even though right now it is 8:20pm - I know it's really only 7:20pm, the kids went to bed without a fuss and I can enjoy feeling not quite as tired as usual.

At least until tomorrow when they really do wake up at 5:30am...

Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers

Ah, it's such a lovely sentiment, reminding one to take the time to notice the small beauties in our increasingly busy-paced and hectic lives. When walking with toddlers, however, it's not a suggestion, it's an imperative! You are forced to stop for many different kinds of "flowers"...

On our way to pick up Lucas from school, here's what Elena and I stopped for:

- pipes coming out of our building,
- a huge piece of rubber from a decimated tire,
- dried poo,
- cigarette butts,
- rocks and gravel (which went promptly to her mouth)
- discarded plastic packaging

It's quite amazing what children find interesting, and how long it can take to walk a short distance if we really let them stop and discover the world around them.

But soon enough they'll be running ahead of us and will have to wait for us to catch up. So for now I'm content to go slow, stop and smell the weeds and see the world through one-year-old eyes every once in a while.

After all, we were only two minutes late getting Lucas. ;)

Catalyst for a clean kitchen

It's very simple really, just let your two year old "wash the dishes" and he'll make a big enough mess that you'll have to clean the floors. This is how it all went down this afternoon...

Lucas loves to wash the dishes in our tiny galley-style kitchen. Basically you can stand in front of the sink and reach the stove, fridge, microwave and almost all the cupboards. So I set Lucas up on a stool and give him a bunch of plastic dishes (of which we have plenty) to "wash". He usually stands there and fills up cups, pours water into bowls and just generally drenches the sink area with water. We are fortunate to have a lip around the sink area which usually contains most of the damage. I usually remember to put away the glass dishes, remove the knives and other dangerous things and keep them out of reach.

Today, however, I neglected to put away a most dangerous item, the dish detergent. Sure enough, it was too quiet for a little too long and when I went to check on Lucas, the floor was covered in detergent..

And thus, I cleaned. The floor got a most-needed mop and Lucas was banished from the kitchen until another day...