Our Christmas this year was very quiet. Since Christmas fell on Wed. it was a regular work day for us. Because I had taken so much time off in the summer and fall to attend the funerals of my grandparents, I didn't have any days left to take off for Christmas. I guess I could have asked for an unpaid day, but I just didn't feel right doing it since I had already taken so many unpaid days. I didn't want to impose on the graciousness of my bosses.
On Sunday the 22nd we planned to celebrate with our sweet family The Yoshidas. Rev. Yoshida (Jiji) held a special private service in their home for us. Two of their daughters joined us via webcam from Hokkaido. It was such a peaceful and beautiful service. We sat by the warm fireplace and all took turns reading passages from the Bible. We sang Christmas Hymns and listened to Jiji's special Christmas message. We did not have as much snow there as last week, but it was still a "white Christmas".
After that we had a small Christmas Pageant. The week before Violet and Baba had been talking about the Christmas Story and Violet decided to be the Angel. We ended up acting out the Nativity story a few times. So last Sunday we did the same. Violet was the angel, I was Mary and Gabe was Joseph. We had a babydoll for baby Jesus. Jiji and Baba were the innkeepers. It was such a sweet little pageant and Violet knew exactly how the story was to go. She repeated lines from her favorite Christmas Storybook. It was perfect.
After the pageant we had a beautiful lunch of Chirashizuzhi and soup. Followed by cakes and cakes and more cakes. It was a delicious feast!
Following lunch we played and napped and then we all went to a local onsen for a nice long soak. The water was warm and the view from the beautiful. Violet made a friend in the bath. The walked around the bath together and held hands as the sat in the warm water together. They giggled and played and chased each other around.
After her bath, Jiji bought her an ice cream cone and then we drove back home. Jiji made a delicious pot of Sukiyaki for dinner! We hadn't had it in so long and we all ate until our tummies were full. It was Violet's first time to have Sukiyaki and she said "I suspect that I do like Sukiyaki!"
After dinner we opened gifts and then watched The Sound of Music on Jiji's projector screen. Violet loves TSOM. It is currently her favorite movie. She stood in front of the big screen watching Julie Andrews with a smile on her face. She tried so hard to stay awake through the movie but shortly after 16 Going on 17 she was fast asleep.
She loved sleeping in "her" room at Jiji and Baba's house. And we woke up to Baba's delicious breakfast! After that we played and read some books and Violet played her new hiragana karuta with Baba. She loves to study! Last, we went into town for a delicious lunch of Hitsumi ( a chicken soup with flat dumplings). The snow was falling steadily and the air was crisp. Violet enjoyed catching snowflakes on her tongue and in her hands.
On Christmas Eve we had to work and Violet went to school. She was very upset about that and said "Christmas is for staying home all day and being with your family." I couldn't agree more. After school we picked her up and then went home to change for Christmas Eve church. She was so excited to see her Auntie (Mutsuko) and Aunt Teresa and Ryo. She decided to sit with them and she often turned around to smile at me or ask me a question. "Why do we go to church for Jesus?" "Why do we close our eyes when we pray?" "Why does the Priest wear a robe?" "Where does the money go that we put in the offering" "Why do we sing songs?" ......
After church there was a light dinner party with cakes and sandwiches. She enjoyed that too. When we finally got home it was 9:00pm. She is usually asleep by 8! But since it was Christmas Eve we let her stay up and watch a movie before bed. We watched the story of the Raven and then the Grinch (her favorite Christmas movie this year). She loved the Raven story and wanted to watch it over and over. It was amazing to see her make the connection between the similarities of the story to the story of Christ's birth. After it was over she told us that Jesus is the light.
Christmas morning we woke up and she opened her stocking. I surprised her with a little stuffed Kitty that she has seen in the store and wanted to take home. She was thrilled! And a chocolate cookie shaped like a cat. She is cat crazy!
Then I got up and made some breakfast and we headed out the door. I had to work but Gabe took the day off to spend with her. They had a fun day together and then came to work to get me, She came up to my office and couldn't believe that she "got to pick up a grown up!"
We went home and opened our gifts by the tree. She wanted to play with each thing as soon as she opened it and was content to stop after each gift. We actually didn't finish opening everything because she go to playing and then got tired. We ate dinner and watched a Christmas special.
We crawled into bed and she was asleep before I even finished the 3rd page of Mortimer's Christmas Manger.
Christmas was quiet and we missed our family back home for sure. But we were definitely thankful that we were blessed with another year together. We are looking forward to our winter holiday this coming week. We get a week off for the New Year celebrations.
Merry Christmas everyone! Wishing you all Peace, Love and Light!
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Christmas and Some Conversations to Remember
During Christmas time we read several stories about the true meaning of Christmas. We have chosen not to lead Violet to believe that Santa Claus is a real person. It was strange though that although we never told her he was real she started thinking he was. We have told her from the very beginning that St. Nicolas was a real man who did nice things for people but that Santa Claus was not real. We have had frank an open discussions about it. When she was 1 year old we went to an event at the local municipal hall and there was a Santa there. Santa happened to be our friend. So after it was over we told her that our friend Bobby was dressed up as Santa and pretending. She had fun with it and still to this day when we pass the hall she tells us about seeing Bobby dressed as Santa there. We listened to lots of Christmas music during the holidays and watched some holiday movies that portrayed Santa in some ways. Never ones where he was the main character though. Then on Christmas Eve we were driving home from Jiji and Baba's house and she told us "Santa is coming to my house tonight!! He is coming and he is going to bring presents!" We felt at a loss. How did it happen. With all of our honesty she still chose to believe in him. So we smiled and didn't say anything until we got home. We talked again about how Santa was not a real person and that it is fun to pretend about him. We told her when we woke up on Christmas morning there would be surprises under the tree and in her stocking but they would be from Mommy and Daddy and our family and friends. She understood and didn't protest against what we told her. She smiled and was exited to see her surprises the next day. When she went to bed she was still giddy just like any child who believes in Santa. She kept opening her eyes and asking me if it was Christmas yet. She asked me
"Mama when we wake up tomorrow will you say, 'Good Morning Violet! Guess what It's Christmas!'" I said that I definitely would and she could go to sleep now. She did and I said exactly what she asked me to when she woke up. Then she looked over the bed to see our stockings hung above the window and shouted..."Mama Santa Came!! I have presents in there!" Then she stopped and said with a smile, "They are from you and Daddy aren't they!" I told her they were. Then we woke up Daddy with kisses and asked him to come down from our bed with us so we could go see the tree. On the way down she said "When we get to the tree, can I pretend to be Santa?" Gabe and I both agreed with a smile and off we went to enjoy our first Christmas in our house as a family of 3. She enjoyed her morning and really loved opening gifts that came in the mail from family back home.
Later in the day I asked Violet if she knew what Christmas was about and this is how she replied.
"Christmas is about spending time with your family. And Jesus' birthday party!" I said "And he was born in a stable right?" Violet said, "No, he was humbly born in a stable."
We had a lovely Christmas spending time together and laughing and talking with family over skype. It even snowed!
Here are some other recent conversations that I don't want to forget.
In the middle of the night Violet woke up and said "Mommy can I hug you please?" Then she said "Mommy, when I get bigger I'll be a mommy and you'll be in my tummy. When I get bigger and when you get smaller you'll be my baby. I'll have a baby mama in my tummy. When you're my baby I promise I'll always give you milkies!"
She has told me on several occasions recently that when she gets bigger I will get smaller and she will be my mommy. She keeps telling me that I will always be her baby and that when we are apart, I will always be in her heart!
On Jan. 13, 2013 Violet had her first haircut. She has been talking about it for a while lately and so we finally decided to do it. I told her we would set up our own beauty shop at home and mommy or daddy would cut it. So we took a bath first and I washed her hair. Then we set up a chair and trimmed about 2 inches off the bottom. She said she wanted short hair like mommy but we decided just a trim would do. After I made the first cut she smiled and said "I'm all done!" Then she wanted to see her hair. I showed her and asked if I could finish the rest. After I finished up I gave her a chocolate popsicle and she exclaimed over and over "Isn't my hair so short!" and giggled.
Also on this same day in the afternoon she made her first snowman. She wanted to make a snowmama. (milkies and all) And she also made her first snow angel.
Violet is so sensitive to Gabe and my emotional states. The other day when she noticed I was feeling a bit down she said "Mommy, I'll hug you and make you happy. I want to make you happy because I love you." I said "You don't have to make me happy sweetie. But I do feel happy when you hug me and say you love me." Then she said "Mommy I can make you happy because I have super powers! I want to make you happy because I love you and I have super powers with my hugs and my love!" I couldn't deny that! She does. She can turn any gray sky blue with her hugs. I love that girl so much and I cherish her love! I do worry though that she feels responsible for making us happy. We are trying to show her that it is ok to feel things and that people aren't always happy but that doesn't have to affect how we feel inside.
Another sweet moment...
She was choking on a little piece of food at the table and Gabe and I both reached over to pat her on the back. We patted her together and after she stopped coughing she looked up at us and said, "Thank you for patting me Mommy and Daddy. Thank you for patting my back. I'm ok now."
A couple of nights ago we were reading the Christmas Story before bed (we used to read it every night as her bedtime story from the time she was 1 year old to almost 2 years old) She loves it. It's a peek a boo bible storybook) When we got to the page that shows Mary holding baby Jesus then putting him in the bed I told her that she used to say "He's going to have down down milkies". (That is what Violet used to say when she was sleepy "down down milkies mama" that meant she wanted to nurse lying down so she could rest or sleep) Then I reminded her of a song I used to sing to her (one I made up and would sing when she would ask for down down milkies)
" Down down down milkie down down down
Down down down milkie down down down
down down down Milkie down down down.
And that's the way we go."
As soon as I started singing she had a sweet innocent smile on her face and I could tell that she remembered. I asked her if she remembered that song and she softly smiled and whispered "yes"
Last Monday we had a day off and we asked her where she wanted to go and she said
"I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay in my home because I love my home!"
She loves to be home with Mommy and Daddy and play all day with her toys and books.
She still has a bit of a hard time on weekdays and asks first thing every morning if it is a school day. She cries a little each day when I tell her it is. It breaks my heart. Still.
updated 1/21
On Saturday on the way to ballet, as we passed her school, Violet asked, "Mommy why is my school not next to your school? Why is my school far away?" I said "because the people who built the schools decided this would be a good place for them. I wish they were next to each other. That would be neat!"
Violet said, "Mommy why do I have to be far away from you when you are at school. Why can I not hug you when I am at school?" I said, "Because my physical body is not next to you at that time. But my heart is always with you. I am always hugging you in my heart." Violet said, "I always want to hug you mama. But I am not going to school today! So today I can hug you all day long!"
Well that's all for now. Our little flower is growing every day and she just can't wait to be "big".
(not sure why the pics uploaded out of order but here they are anyway)
"Mama when we wake up tomorrow will you say, 'Good Morning Violet! Guess what It's Christmas!'" I said that I definitely would and she could go to sleep now. She did and I said exactly what she asked me to when she woke up. Then she looked over the bed to see our stockings hung above the window and shouted..."Mama Santa Came!! I have presents in there!" Then she stopped and said with a smile, "They are from you and Daddy aren't they!" I told her they were. Then we woke up Daddy with kisses and asked him to come down from our bed with us so we could go see the tree. On the way down she said "When we get to the tree, can I pretend to be Santa?" Gabe and I both agreed with a smile and off we went to enjoy our first Christmas in our house as a family of 3. She enjoyed her morning and really loved opening gifts that came in the mail from family back home.
Later in the day I asked Violet if she knew what Christmas was about and this is how she replied.
"Christmas is about spending time with your family. And Jesus' birthday party!" I said "And he was born in a stable right?" Violet said, "No, he was humbly born in a stable."
We had a lovely Christmas spending time together and laughing and talking with family over skype. It even snowed!
Here are some other recent conversations that I don't want to forget.
In the middle of the night Violet woke up and said "Mommy can I hug you please?" Then she said "Mommy, when I get bigger I'll be a mommy and you'll be in my tummy. When I get bigger and when you get smaller you'll be my baby. I'll have a baby mama in my tummy. When you're my baby I promise I'll always give you milkies!"
She has told me on several occasions recently that when she gets bigger I will get smaller and she will be my mommy. She keeps telling me that I will always be her baby and that when we are apart, I will always be in her heart!
On Jan. 13, 2013 Violet had her first haircut. She has been talking about it for a while lately and so we finally decided to do it. I told her we would set up our own beauty shop at home and mommy or daddy would cut it. So we took a bath first and I washed her hair. Then we set up a chair and trimmed about 2 inches off the bottom. She said she wanted short hair like mommy but we decided just a trim would do. After I made the first cut she smiled and said "I'm all done!" Then she wanted to see her hair. I showed her and asked if I could finish the rest. After I finished up I gave her a chocolate popsicle and she exclaimed over and over "Isn't my hair so short!" and giggled.
Also on this same day in the afternoon she made her first snowman. She wanted to make a snowmama. (milkies and all) And she also made her first snow angel.
Violet is so sensitive to Gabe and my emotional states. The other day when she noticed I was feeling a bit down she said "Mommy, I'll hug you and make you happy. I want to make you happy because I love you." I said "You don't have to make me happy sweetie. But I do feel happy when you hug me and say you love me." Then she said "Mommy I can make you happy because I have super powers! I want to make you happy because I love you and I have super powers with my hugs and my love!" I couldn't deny that! She does. She can turn any gray sky blue with her hugs. I love that girl so much and I cherish her love! I do worry though that she feels responsible for making us happy. We are trying to show her that it is ok to feel things and that people aren't always happy but that doesn't have to affect how we feel inside.
Another sweet moment...
She was choking on a little piece of food at the table and Gabe and I both reached over to pat her on the back. We patted her together and after she stopped coughing she looked up at us and said, "Thank you for patting me Mommy and Daddy. Thank you for patting my back. I'm ok now."
A couple of nights ago we were reading the Christmas Story before bed (we used to read it every night as her bedtime story from the time she was 1 year old to almost 2 years old) She loves it. It's a peek a boo bible storybook) When we got to the page that shows Mary holding baby Jesus then putting him in the bed I told her that she used to say "He's going to have down down milkies". (That is what Violet used to say when she was sleepy "down down milkies mama" that meant she wanted to nurse lying down so she could rest or sleep) Then I reminded her of a song I used to sing to her (one I made up and would sing when she would ask for down down milkies)
" Down down down milkie down down down
Down down down milkie down down down
down down down Milkie down down down.
And that's the way we go."
As soon as I started singing she had a sweet innocent smile on her face and I could tell that she remembered. I asked her if she remembered that song and she softly smiled and whispered "yes"
Last Monday we had a day off and we asked her where she wanted to go and she said
"I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay in my home because I love my home!"
She loves to be home with Mommy and Daddy and play all day with her toys and books.
She still has a bit of a hard time on weekdays and asks first thing every morning if it is a school day. She cries a little each day when I tell her it is. It breaks my heart. Still.
updated 1/21
On Saturday on the way to ballet, as we passed her school, Violet asked, "Mommy why is my school not next to your school? Why is my school far away?" I said "because the people who built the schools decided this would be a good place for them. I wish they were next to each other. That would be neat!"
Violet said, "Mommy why do I have to be far away from you when you are at school. Why can I not hug you when I am at school?" I said, "Because my physical body is not next to you at that time. But my heart is always with you. I am always hugging you in my heart." Violet said, "I always want to hug you mama. But I am not going to school today! So today I can hug you all day long!"
Well that's all for now. Our little flower is growing every day and she just can't wait to be "big".
(not sure why the pics uploaded out of order but here they are anyway)
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| Christmas present Wok and Roll Game. She loves it! |
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| morning walk with Daddy |
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| after her first haircut! |
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| Her first sewing machine. She wants to sew just like mama! |
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| Violet pretending to be stuck in a frame :) |
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| Christmas Morning |
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| Super Violet |
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| giving kitty milkies |
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| Snow on Christmas Day |
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| In her Christmas dress by the tree after we decorated it |
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| Christmas morning reading a new present |
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| she still fits in her "pouch" and can nurse in there too. |
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| studying in her Christmas dress |
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| snow in Tono |
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| Christmas Eve afternoon snack at Jiji and Baba's. |
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| snowmama with nursling |
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| Christmas morning pancakes |
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| snow in Ofunato and making pics on the window |
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| a painting by Violet and Gabe added text over top |
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| Violet's ornament that I made her for 2012 |
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| Daddy's a good sport and lets Violet paint his nails |
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| Christmas morning (wearing Christmas Dress as a hat) my goofball |
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| making her first snow angel |
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| snowmama (per Violet's request with milkies) |
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| Violet's lunch for school one day |
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| doing ballet at home with her Ms. Liz dvd |
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| an older pic from Nov. Violet seeing her first live musical |
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| homemade tutu with Beatles shirt (the shirt I used to tell Gabe I was pregnant. It survived the tsunami and she still wears it) |
Sunday, December 05, 2010
The Raven: A Christmas Story
http://gscraft.blogspot.com/2007/12/legend-of-raven.html
Monday, December 14, 2009
Early Christmas celebration
We had an early Christmas celebration with our dear お父ちゃん と お母ちゃん.
They drove from Tono to visit us and we had a wonderful time. Mrs. Yoshida made a delicious apple cake that we shared over coffee, (mommy had chocolate milk :) )
We had such a wonderful time visiting. We usually spend the night with them in Tono on Christmas Eve but this year we will be in America. We will miss our quiet celebration with them and look forward to the next time we can spend Christmas together when Violet is older. I know she will love spending the night with them. They live in the mountains and in gets cold and snowy for Christmas. They have a fireplace and it is such a cozy place to be!
Well here are some pictures from our day together and a video too. Love and blessings to you all.
Holy days with Jiji & Baba from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.
They drove from Tono to visit us and we had a wonderful time. Mrs. Yoshida made a delicious apple cake that we shared over coffee, (mommy had chocolate milk :) )
We had such a wonderful time visiting. We usually spend the night with them in Tono on Christmas Eve but this year we will be in America. We will miss our quiet celebration with them and look forward to the next time we can spend Christmas together when Violet is older. I know she will love spending the night with them. They live in the mountains and in gets cold and snowy for Christmas. They have a fireplace and it is such a cozy place to be!
Well here are some pictures from our day together and a video too. Love and blessings to you all.
Holy days with Jiji & Baba from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.
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