Giving Time:

One of the most valuable gifts is the gift of time. For a mom, you may just want a morning away from the kids. It sounds terrible, but it’s true. Mom’s need time away, time with other women to connect. I remember my mom giving me that gift. She watched the kids for me while I was able to go grab a cup of coffee or tea with other moms who were a bit older and could encourage me because they’d been there.

As we raise our kids, they need time with us. My nineteen-year-old still wants to do things as a family. He’s willing to take off work if there’s a family event. We’ve done camping trips, theater, and eating out, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Sometimes tagging along with my husband on a job becomes family time. We make a day out of it and go to the beach, see a movie afterward (okay, that got expensive, but the job he went to paid for Monsters, Inc.). A family night can be time together. I’ve written several blogs on how to do this. One is on family nights, another on connecting with them, and the last on spending time with your kids.

Our husbands need our time as well. I think that’s one reason why women often feel so stressed. We have so many people asking for our time and attention. One year, I created a booklet for my husband full of coupons that he could redeem. Some needed advanced notice, but they varied from a date out to a game of Scrabble after the kids were in bed.

Whether it’s for your kids, a young mom, or your husband, be creative and thoughtful.

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Gifting Service:

In the Twitter chat with Jenna, we discussed how to teach our kids to give. One of the big takeaways I had was that we need to teach our kids how to give by serving. This could be as simple as doing a chore for someone else. Think about it. As a mom wouldn’t you love it if someone did the dishes for you or cleaned the bathroom? My birthday present one year from my kids was when they cleaned the house for me while I was gone! It was so nice and appreciated.

Many towns at this time of the year have soup kitchens or other areas that a family can go and help in. One of my favorite memories with the three middle kids was four and half years ago. We went to San Francisco on a youth trip. We enjoyed sight-seeing, but after two days of viewing the town, we then ended up in the SOMA district helping in different ministries together. We sorted peaches for the food bank, served food at St. Anthony’s during the lunch rush, and handed out survival packets to homeless. All four of us returned different. To this day, the three of them will not pass a person begging on the street corner without giving out food if we have it. I’ve even seen them plan ahead and pick up something especially for that person!

Handmade gifts:

These are my personal favorite gifts. It shows the time and effort someone took to think specifically about me to make a gift. I have some of these hung on my Christmas tree as ornaments. Each year, my mom makes ornaments to celebrate the year. I’ve received hand knitted scarves, bath salts, and food. As a little girl, I remember the year we received doll clothes that Mom had made for my sister and me. The next year, Grandpa made us cradles for our dolls. Grandma and Great Grandma made the blankets, matress, and pillow to match the cradle.

doll I received that my mom made clothes for and the blanket my Great-grandma crocheted

What kind of handmade gifts can you or your child make? Think through the strengths of you and your child. Are you artistic? Do you love to bake? Can you carve? Then think through how your strengths can meet the need of someone else. I’ve given away portraits as gifts. I always love it when my sister-in-law makes a plate of goodies for us. My son made me a shelf in woodshop his freshman year. It still sits in my classroom as a nice display for nick-nacks. Homemade beauty products are simple to make. The web is full of recipes you can use. DIY natural is a site I found with many practical resources.

While considering meaningful gifts, make sure you consider the person. What does the recipent like or need? I’d love to hear your reactions. What gifts have you enjoyed receiving or giving?

“Dad, will you sing Oh, Holy Night?” Mom asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Please, Gramps?” We pleaded.

“I don’t know the words.”

That was what Mom was waiting for. She produced from behind her back a cookie tin. “Here, Dad,” she said as she handed it to him.

With curiosity, he took it and opened it. Inside were several slips of typed paper. Gramps’ deep hearty laughed followed. Mom had typed up the words. Never again could he have the excuse that he didn’t know the words. He sang it every Christmas after that until 1999. In April of 2000, Gramps took his singing voice to go sing for Jesus in heaven. Every Christmas since when I hear Oh, Holy Night, I think of him. The first ten years or so after, I would break down and cry at least once in the season when I heard the song.

I thought I was past that stage until tonight. As I was at the art gallery, a man came in with one of the artists. As he waited for her, he sat down and began to sing, Oh, Holy Night. I paused in my steps and listened, a wistful look on my face. What a joy to hear a grandfatherly man singing Gramps Pat’s song.

What about you? Do you have any special song for the holidays? Any song you have to hear before it’s the season? Let me know in the comments.

As I’ve grown, family and friends have stayed the mainstay for the holidays. Last year, I wanted to have a relaxing Thanksgiving. So I talked with each of my kids as to what made Thanksgiving for them. We came up with a list of foods and I fixed them. When we went to sit down, the boys were upset. I tried to figure out the frustration and found that it wasn’t food that made the holiday but people coming over. Fortunately for us, my parents and our oldest son and his girlfriend showed up early for dessert and were there while we had our meal.

The first of the series will be on sale Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

It was this strong basis of family and friends that I drew from when I wrote the Dragon Courage series. I wanted to give my kids a taste of normalcy and put it in a different place. The interactions of the characters throughout the series come from interactions I’ve had with my own kids and my own family. The scenes around the dinner table are straight from my own dinner table. The toddler complaining while mom fixes a meal is exactly what happened with my young ones. Only at meal time did they need mom. They were fine until I walked into the kitchen. Then they were clinging to my legs. It’s rather difficult to fix a meal with a two and a three year old attached to either leg.

So, as you go about your holiday season this year. Remember your family and friends. Spend time with them. Make memories that will last. Play a game together, read them a book, watch a fun movie together. Whatever you do, enjoy them. If you were like me growing up and your family is miles away, find friends or others who need family and be their family. There is always someone who needs some family.

Our family has had a fascination with theater since my husband and I were in high school. We spent our honeymoon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Each year or so we would return to see a play or two. Eventually we introduced the kids to Shakespeare. By the time our youngest was old enough to join the family for a play, he had been counting down the days to seeing it. He has been bitten by the bug and has been involved in local theater for the last two years and has participated in three plays. He has been rehearsing for his fourth one coming up this weeke

As a teacher, I have gone through several classes on teaching students about literature. My favorite genre is fantasy. One thing I learned is that the main ingredient for a fantasy tale is magic. As children we can believe in the possibility of magic. We look for it in every nook and corner. As we grow older, we lose that sense of wonder. We may gain a little of it at Christmas, but for the rest of the year, we are tugged down into the humdrum of life. This week I have had the privilege of watching some real life magic.

Our family has had a fascination with theater since my husband and I were in high school. We spent our honeymoon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Each year or so we would return to see a play or two. Eventually we introduced the kids to Shakespeare. By the time our youngest was old enough to join the family for a play, he had been counting down the days to seeing it. He has been bitten by the bug and has been involved in local theater for the last two years and has participated in three plays. He has been rehearsing for his fourth one coming up this weekend.

As I sat this week in the sometimes darkened sometimes fully lit theater, I began to make some connections. As the curtain is closed and the lights dim, suddenly, adults are transported to a point where they can believe in magic again. The lights come up, and the curtain opens. At that moment we are taken on a journey through time and space to a place the playwright has created and planned. Magic happens.

This magic though is created with much hard work. That work begins many weeks or years earlier when the writer sits down and pens the words to the play. Later, tryouts are held. Once the group of people have been chosen, the real work begins. Each member of the cast must learn his or her parts. That isn’t the full work, though. There’s blocking and character development. The stage crew has the job of creating believable scenery and props. Once all of that is together, then it’s time for lights and tech. They add an extra dimension to what’s happening on stage. When opening night comes, and the curtain opens, all the hard work is rewarded, and  magic takes place. The real magic is that dead words on a page come to life as the actors portray them.

As the holidays come, you may have an opportunity to see some magic. As you do, revel in it and enjoy. Then thank those who made it happen. They spent hours on end to give you an hour or two of magic and entertainment.nd.

As I sat this week in the sometimes darkened sometimes fully lit theater, I began to make some connections. As the curtain is closed and the lights dim, suddenly, adults are transported to a point where they can believe in magic again. The lights come up, and the curtain opens. At that moment we are taken on a journey through time and space to a place the playwright has created and planned. Magic happens.

This magic though is created with much hard work. That work begins many weeks or years earlier when the writer sits down and pens the words to the play. Later, tryouts are held. Once the group of people have been chosen, the real work begins. Each member of the cast must learn his or her parts. That isn’t the full work, though. There’s blocking and character development. The stage crew has the job of creating believable scenery and props. Once all of that is together, then it’s time for lights and tech. They add an extra dimension to what’s happening on stage. When opening night comes, and the curtain opens, all the hard work is rewarded, and  magic takes place. The real magic is that dead words on a page come to life as the actors portray them.

As the holidays come, you may have an opportunity to see some magic. As you do, revel in it and enjoy. Then thank those who made it happen. They spent hours on end to give you an hour or two of magic and entertainment.