Christmas Commences

School vacation is underway, which means we have made it through the week of special Christmas events without any major catastrophes, not that I expected any, and plenty of surprises, which I did.

Last weekend we got our tree, which we purchased through the kids' school because it is not possible to cut your own here. They don't have tree farms or groves of evergreens, so unless you want to cut and decorate a grape vine, your options are only pre-cut, store-bought. We paid 25euro (roughly $33-) for this:

Yup. It's a Charlie Brown Christmas at the Dauphinais' this year! When we picked up the tree, it was wrapped in that netting stuff and, because it was pre-ordered, it had our name on it, so we bought it sight unseen (again I think this is the norm here). We got it home and fashioned the extremely low-tech stand (a log cut in half lengthwise with a hole bored into it) and got the tree standing upright. With all the pomp and circumstance Vivi could muster (which is quite impressive for a 6 year old), Vivi cut through the netting to release our glorious tree from it's captivity.

I've never before experienced a more anti-climactic moment in real life. All that was missing was the little chimes playing and Snoopy's cackle like in Charlie Brown's Christmas special. Needles softly tinkled to the ground as roughly 20 branches (count yours, I bet it is over 50) "unfurled" in three little clusters, revealing gaping holes where tree should be. There was a frozen moment of awe before David and I, jaws dropped in shock, simultaneously turned to one another and promptly burst into laughter.

We've had to make our own Nativity set, because I simply could not tolerate having a tree and no Jesus. The kids and I colored paper cut-outs from online and before the first spot on the first cow was colored in, I knew we had created an heirloom. I treasure it.

We also had to alter our stocking stuffer assortment this year as the only "stockings" we have are Bohdan's tall but skinny soccer socks. Luckily, he has a practice pair and a game pair, so there is one for each of us, and even more lucky - he doesn't have any soccer between now and Christmas so I can guarantee the *clean* stockings will be hung with care (well actually, the mantel is stone and has no hooks, so they might be placed with care instead). I've learned stockings aren't always done here - often shoes are used or special wooden shoes that remind me of Holland.

Christmas cookie traditions were a bit of a stretch as well, but I did manage to make Grandma Phillip's Chocolate Haystack cookies - with some alterations, Rice Krispie Treats, and Christmas sugar cookies. We shared them at the kids' school Christmas program and the church's Christmas program and they were enjoyed, but not so much so that we couldn't bring home left-overs.

The rest of the week is full with Christmas shows at school and at church, a trip to Strasbourg and, of course, our annual Birthday Party for Jesus on Christmas day. It's been weird and revealing using someone else's decorations to adorn someone else's house in someone else's country this Christmas. I've learned the U.S. doesn't have a clue when it comes to decorating city streets, but that my "sparse" decorating at home is actually quite lavish. I've discovered I really do depend on snow, or at least lack of so much green to get me in the Christmas mood, I love WHOM 94.9 this time of year way more than I thought. Lastly I have grown keenly aware that enjoying special traditions (like making cookies, the Golden's party, going Christmas caroling, and Jesus' Birthday Party) with our family and friends throughout the Advent Season is what I do best and what I miss most.