I'm so excited that Christmas is right around the corner. I think Aili knows something is up, too. Maybe it was the giant tree in the middle of the house that gave it away. Interestingly, she was quite engaged with the decorating process. Obaachan Ayako showed her how to put the ornaments on branches, and she got very excited about helping out! Of course I had to go along afterwards and actually put the little loops and hooks on the branches; Aili just rested the ornament on the branch surface. After a bit of trial and error, I also figured out that the el-cheapo plastic Ikea ornaments all go on the bottom half of the tree, and all glass and glitter-decorated ornaments belong on the top half.
My dad and sister will be coming into town early next week, and I can't wait!
Oshika tree 2008.
Here's the fireplace, all ready to go. It's been wonderful during these recent cold and snowy days!
My mom handmade this amazing Christmas tree skirt for me when she spent an entire summer living in Houston for treatment. The details are remarkable. I have the patterns to make matching stockings, but I don't know if I'll ever have the skill or patience for it.
Mom was always such a central part of our Christmas celebration, and I'm glad a small part of her can still be here to decorate our hearts and home.
5 comments:
Ahem...I do believe there are only TWO stockings hanging on the fireplace!! Shouldn't there be 3? :)
Well, my answer to that is that there have been two stockings every Christmas since we moved into this house three years ago, and there will be two stockings every Christmas until we move out. You can attribute them to whoever you like.
Yeah, there's only two stockings...why doesn't Johnny get one? :)
OK, people.
There is one for Aili, and one for as-yet-unnamed junior.
Do note that they are entirely decorative and will not be filled this year or any other.
The class act of using your Mom's handmade craft each and every year is a celebration in itself. What a heart warming way to honour her life.
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