I felt a real joy in how willing our kids were to make their 'gifts of the heart' this year
I used to make gifts for Christmas. They were most always for John and involved a very heart felt desire that my total love and devotion were present in the process and the presentation.
Then, our kids got older. And life got busier. And we started this little tradition.
So, now, most of the time that used to be spent hand crafting a gift for my beloved is poured out in an effort for our kids to be creative, use their talents and their time, and use their energy to think about one of their brothers or sisters.
We call it "gift of the heart".
Each child draws a name around Thanksgiving. They stew and think about what they could MAKE for their sibling. Mom stews too, and goes to each child to check in and see how they need support to craft their creation. The little ones, of course, need the most help and direction. The older ones have become more savvy at thinking about what they would want to present as a gift to their chosen sibling.
This year's gifts were particularly enjoyable. Mason made a sweet 'on the go' bag for Lucy; with fabrics chosen by mom and the actual sewing of the bag done under the watchful tutelage of aunt Mandy, Mason's crowning achievement in this gift was the sewing on of the bag's handles. It took him (I lie NOT) 2 hours to sew on the 8 buttons necessary for the handle to be securely fastened. He was frustrated, I was too. But in the end the bag is beautiful and his sister absolutely adores it (thanks Mandy for all that help!). Brynley made a new wallet for Mason, who will be needing a place for I.D. this year; particularly a Drivers License come summer. She used duct tape to create this gift and made it look like a wallet any true Ute fan would envy.
Speaking of Ute fans; Porter is a big one, so Madi used the UofU colors to create a final resting place for one of Porter's prized possessions; his team football picture. The frame is larger than life, and sits proudly on his dresser displaying his football team spirit.
Porter, for Molly, made (with lots of help from John) a treasure hunt game for Molly to play at our house. With different changeable stops on the treasure map made from photos taken all over our house-this game has been played and replayed and replayed since Christmas when it was opened. Molly loves finding the 'treasure' which is a gaudy giant ruby ring purchased in the costume jewelry section of the local Target. Porter picked it out himself.
Molly (and I) complied a cook book for Brynley, filled with the recipes she has mastered and with room for her to add others as her cooking repertoire expands. Just last night, as Bryn proudly served her home made (and very fancy) spaghetti with turkey and pork meatballs she announced that this new recipe deserved a place in her "Brynley cooks" book which she intends to take with her to college.
And Lucy? Lu was watched over by Brynley in the making of an 'on the go homework station' for Madi (consisting of a modge-podged clip board and a carry-all file which Madi can stash in her swim bag and take with her to and from practice. Madi has by far the most homework of our kids this year (and one of our kids is a sophomore in high school, go figure!) and she also has the busiest schedule. This little 'homework station' was designed so she could do some work going to and from swim team, or while waiting for a ride home or while riding in the car while I drop off or pick up others of her siblings. She has already used it a bit and I think she liked it a lot. Thanks to Bryn for really making that gift happen while John and I were overseeing the heart-felt gift making of others of the young ones.
This tradition takes hours and hours of the season, and is one of the best parts of Christmas for me. I am sad to have given away precious hours and opportunity to shower love over John in the form of handmade gifting, but I think the chance to spend time with our children and watch them think about others is a very good trade off.
Then, our kids got older. And life got busier. And we started this little tradition.
So, now, most of the time that used to be spent hand crafting a gift for my beloved is poured out in an effort for our kids to be creative, use their talents and their time, and use their energy to think about one of their brothers or sisters.
We call it "gift of the heart".
Each child draws a name around Thanksgiving. They stew and think about what they could MAKE for their sibling. Mom stews too, and goes to each child to check in and see how they need support to craft their creation. The little ones, of course, need the most help and direction. The older ones have become more savvy at thinking about what they would want to present as a gift to their chosen sibling.
This year's gifts were particularly enjoyable. Mason made a sweet 'on the go' bag for Lucy; with fabrics chosen by mom and the actual sewing of the bag done under the watchful tutelage of aunt Mandy, Mason's crowning achievement in this gift was the sewing on of the bag's handles. It took him (I lie NOT) 2 hours to sew on the 8 buttons necessary for the handle to be securely fastened. He was frustrated, I was too. But in the end the bag is beautiful and his sister absolutely adores it (thanks Mandy for all that help!). Brynley made a new wallet for Mason, who will be needing a place for I.D. this year; particularly a Drivers License come summer. She used duct tape to create this gift and made it look like a wallet any true Ute fan would envy.
Speaking of Ute fans; Porter is a big one, so Madi used the UofU colors to create a final resting place for one of Porter's prized possessions; his team football picture. The frame is larger than life, and sits proudly on his dresser displaying his football team spirit.
Porter, for Molly, made (with lots of help from John) a treasure hunt game for Molly to play at our house. With different changeable stops on the treasure map made from photos taken all over our house-this game has been played and replayed and replayed since Christmas when it was opened. Molly loves finding the 'treasure' which is a gaudy giant ruby ring purchased in the costume jewelry section of the local Target. Porter picked it out himself.
Molly (and I) complied a cook book for Brynley, filled with the recipes she has mastered and with room for her to add others as her cooking repertoire expands. Just last night, as Bryn proudly served her home made (and very fancy) spaghetti with turkey and pork meatballs she announced that this new recipe deserved a place in her "Brynley cooks" book which she intends to take with her to college.
And Lucy? Lu was watched over by Brynley in the making of an 'on the go homework station' for Madi (consisting of a modge-podged clip board and a carry-all file which Madi can stash in her swim bag and take with her to and from practice. Madi has by far the most homework of our kids this year (and one of our kids is a sophomore in high school, go figure!) and she also has the busiest schedule. This little 'homework station' was designed so she could do some work going to and from swim team, or while waiting for a ride home or while riding in the car while I drop off or pick up others of her siblings. She has already used it a bit and I think she liked it a lot. Thanks to Bryn for really making that gift happen while John and I were overseeing the heart-felt gift making of others of the young ones.
This tradition takes hours and hours of the season, and is one of the best parts of Christmas for me. I am sad to have given away precious hours and opportunity to shower love over John in the form of handmade gifting, but I think the chance to spend time with our children and watch them think about others is a very good trade off.
3 comments:
Seriously why are you so far away! Thanks for returning to the blogosphere so I enjoy being Katie-inspired again.
Those are all great gifts. I'm very impressed. Can I put my name in the drawing for next year?
What a fun idea. We do homemade gifts, but each child makes enough for everyone, so 6 decorated t_shirts, 6 sewn pillows, etc. I like the idea of spending more time on one gift for one person. Thank you for sharing these. Beautiful job!!
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