Christmas Tree... L-kun's Moment of the Possible

Actually, we've had our Christmas tree up for more than 5-6 weeks already... so this post might be a little on the tardy side. We may have put the tree up a little early this year (is there a rule for this sort of thing?), but L-kun was adamant that we should put it up as EARLY AS POSSIBLE. It's amazing to me that even though L-kun is only three and a half years old, he still knows what time of year it is, and knows what the Christmas Tree means.... you find presents underneath it!

He really enjoyed helping Daddy set the tree up...  though he held largely a supervisory role. Learning to delegate is a great life skill, and apparently L-kun will soon be teaching me all about it.

But that's not to say it wasn't a serious business. After all, Santa-san is coming to put presents under the tree. The sooner it goes up, the sooner he - and the presents - will appear. At least that was how L-kun reasoned it. Seems quite logical to me too. The only problem is that he often looks questioningly at the tree, as if to say... Daddy.... I know how the presents 'get' here... let's not make a scene, I'll just turn my back for a few minutes and "Santa-san" <insert air quotes here> better get busy and put the presents there. 

Santa-san had however, other worries...For example, counting the possible ways that things can go horribly wrong when a little boy suddenly tries to eat a tree decoration. Er... L-kun, that's for the tree, not your tummy.

Actually, when I look at this photo now, I can't help but squirm. Bad things can happen in a blink of an eye... and even things that you think are harmless have a way of going awry. Parenting is often like riding a roller-coaster. Even though you see the twists and turns coming up, often it's down to faith that the car will continue to follow the tracks...

There really is something nice however about setting up the Christmas tree and enjoying the atmosphere of something special comnig. I wonder however if we often don't see the trees for the forest of expectations.

Christmas is a time of built-up expectations (not only with the simple things like gifts, relationships and our careers)... it's also very much about how we perceive ourselves and the benchmark we set for ourselves. Christmas often doesn't live up to those expectations... nor should it. That's a different story altogether.

This will be L-kun's 4th Christmas coming up. It's things like that which are the true joys of Christmas... of course, what makes it really fun is to see yor children's reactions. So Christmas Tree... what will we find under you in two sleeps time?... Hmmm... I wonder. 

And whilst Christmas is a time for transition - the old year gradually (and sometimes less than gracefully) coming to an end. It's also a time for hopes and sometimes sadness. Furthermore, it's very much a time for living in the moment... a truth that any three year old could have told you with a simple smile. If they could be heard with a Christmas bauble in their mouth, that is.

Christmas is the moment of maximum possibility, where past, present and future collide, and then exchange registration details amongst the carnage. So sit back in your roller-coaster car, take a deep breath and live in that moment known so well to any three year old. If only for a day or two before reality makes a begrudging return.