Christmas Memories 2010

I have a bottle of wine next to me (I decided against a glass, in the end only one more item I have to clean)... some left over christmas cookies... simfy (simply red style) turned on the headset (hope I'll still hear Lenara if she wakes up)... way of celebrating my evenings (lately)... and enjoying those last christmas hours. It all passed so quickly. Weeks and weeks of preparing, waiting, celebrating advent... a couple of hours and it's all done.

We had a nice quiet Christmas Eve this year. In Germany, Christmas Eve is the main day of the festivities. The schedule of this day is the most special Christmas tradition to me. We went downtown Kirchheim in the morning as there are booths selling hot wine punch, where lots of people meet (that's why I go, not bc of the wine... really). Usually lots of old schoolmates are in town as they visit their families. I was looking forward to it, as lately I felt quite socially isolated. Unfortunately the weather had turned bad in the morning (snow storm), which I guess is the reason, why I didn't see many old friends. Or maybe they showed up later, but I couldn't stay much longer as (we were all wet by then) and it was nap time. But I did see three dear friends and talked a bit, which was great.

Then we went to pick up my grandma and drove to my parents house (20 mins). I was happy, we didn't have a long trip, as the snow was quite bad to drive through. Maybe you happened to hear some German news which reported about the unusual heavy snow and the traffic chaos all over Germany on Christmas Eve. I like getting that much snow. But this amount in such a short time was really unusual. On the other hand, if it hadn't hit that hard so suddenly, we wouldn't have had a white Christmas - everything was green and brown in the morning. Unfortunately my other grandma and grandpa couldn't come (bc of health issues and the weather conditions). We had a small lunch at my parents' and Lenara and I took a nap.

After that my brother also arrived and we dressed up to go to church. I have to admit we never go to church during the year (for different reasons, but this would be another post). But Christmas without mass is not Christmas to me. It was the first time for Lenara to join us, which made it special. I had taken her to a choir concert in a church just recently, which lasted over an hour and Lenara loved to listen and she sat still on my lap the entire time. I was wondering how it would work this time. She walked around the church in the beginning as we went early. She inspected everything: the nativity scene in the front, the huge christmas tree, people arriving. I took her on my lap when mass started. But after a while she got unquiet. An old woman (really old) sat next to me and I was worried that we would disturb her. But instead she encouraged me to put Lenara down and let her walk around. While my family on the other side gave me serious looks and told me to take her back on my lap. I didn't really know what to do to be honest. I didn't want to disturb anyone. At the same time I wanted it to be a good experience for Lenara, too, as this was also supposed to be a children's mass. The old woman reassured me I should let her walk around and explore, which really calmed me down. I don't know what it was about this woman, but I could have hugged her for assuring me I was doing the right thing. Lenara explored the church. She went down the aisle to the back of the church and found more children who she connected with. They played quietly (doing faces at each other or whatever). I couldn't really see her from my seat anymore at one point, which first made me nervous. I kept turning around (which probably was the most disturbing part about the whole scene). But then I told myself, there are families back there, so they will also have an eye on her (like I automatically have an eye on any child in my view), there's nothing really that could happen. She kept walking up and down the aisle and instead of seeing angry faces like I expected, I saw many many faces (old and young) smiling at my little girl and enjoying the spirit of this little blonde angel. Those delighted faces are one of my favorite memories.

Then we walked back home through the snow. The church is just down the street. Flo and Lenara read a book while waiting for the "Christkind" (christ child), while my parents lit up the tree and prepared the gift giving. Then Lenara and I waited for the bell while sitting on the stairs. Just like my brother and I back in the day. I sang a christmas song to her and for the first time she repeated the word "Christkind" - which was also a very special moment to me. She wasn't excited as me as she didn't know what to expect. But I could tell she felt my anticipation and she enjoyed it. Then the little bell rang.

I guess seeing a child catching sight of the christmas tree and all the gifts and the ceremonial atmosphere... can't be topped by many things. I was so happy I could have cried. One ornament on the tree (a heart) caught her attention and she tried to get it in her hands many times that night. I hadn't wrapped Maruun (the doll), so she was one of the first gifts she discovered. Seeing Lenara picking her up and holding her tight was another about-to-cry-moment. I liked that we didn't have a crazy amount of gifts. Lenara enjoyed unwrapping. She did it very carefully. I loved watching her little hands be so gentle. She loved all her gifts. But her favorite is a watercolor set. She took it everywhere and opened and closed it all the time, reorganizing the colors. This fact is special to me too, as this was a gift from an anonymous donor. We were invited to take part in a social programme (see pics and learn more about it here - GER) where the kids of low-income families could write down one wish, which was put on a Christmas tree in a store downtown and people willing to donor a gift could pick up the wishes. A couple of days before christmas I picked up this anonymous gift. The sight of this room full (!!!) of donored gifts for children almost made me cry as well - bc of all the love and generousity being present through the gifts and bc I realized we belong to the poor people around here right now, which makes me sad and usually I try to avoid thinking about it.

Another special and funny Christmas memory 2010: After dinner Lenara played another little while with her new gifts. Then I told her we should pick up the toys before going to bed. I asked her to put Maruun in bed (meaning, wrap her in a scarf like she found her). Lenara clearly seemed to understand. She turned around, whiped out the wooden (brand new!) nativity scene - Maria, Joseph, baby jesus, donkey, cow... woooosh! Not taking out one by one, but - WOOOOOSH! Then she placed Maruun in the little house and covered her with the scarf! I don't know how she came up with this idea. But she went forward with her action so straight and confident... it was hilarious. Later my Mom put all the figures in the lego building - our interim nativity scene. Why buy an expensive wooden one, if lego does the same job??! ;)

I think those will be the most special memories of this year's Christmas Eve.











P.S. There are more and better pics - but not on my camera. :(
P.P.S. I just got them...