Lights

We have put up our tree! This year it was so easy, it seemed like it was done almost before we started. Because of our little wanderers, we decided to assemble only half the tree (it's fake, obviously) and put it on top of the baby grand piano, out of their reach. Rocket Boy put it together and wound 2 strings of lights around it. Then I added a few dozen ornaments. And then we were done. Actually there is room for more ornaments, and I added a few more today and maybe I'll add a few more tomorrow. But it's also fine as is. No pressure.

I set up my creche beneath the tree. My nativity scene is such a mess. I have 5 wise men but only 1 camel. I have 7 sheep, a cow, and a llama, but no shepherds. Also no angels. The holy family are made of clay, and they are inside a round clay "stable" along with another cow, a donkey, and some dried greenery. Each year I think I must remedy this situation and at least get a shepherd or at least get an angel or at least get another camel. But I don't. Usually I just add more livestock. How is this going to make any sense to the babies, when they get older? We 5 kings of orient are. The livestock will turn feral and start knocking down the stable. And what about an angel. This year a Santa Claus ornament is hanging very close to the creche, looking like a fat red angel. I suppose he could play that part, but it seems confusing.

Well, what is there about Christmas that isn't confusing? It's Jesus's birthday, except that he was really born in the spring. Santa Claus brings toys to good little girls and boys but he isn't real, your parents were lying about that. It seems so much simpler just to celebrate the Winter Solstice, but then what about all that beautiful religious music? I think I went back and reclaimed Christianity for myself just so I could sing the carols without feeling like a fraud.

Carols are one of the best things about Christmas and one of the other best things is the lights. (Also on the list: peppermint ice cream, mint M&Ms, and all kinds of Christmas cookies. Also Christmas cards arriving in the mail, preferably enclosing long, detailed Christmas letters.) I just love walking or driving around looking at light displays. I DO NOT CARE how much energy it wastes. I DO NOT. I will conserve energy the rest of the year. It turns out that Ridgecrest is very big on light displays. Perhaps that could have been predicted (small town atmosphere, very very Christian). The local newspaper printed a map showing the locations of notable displays, but we found many more by just driving around. The babies thought it was great. We're not sure how much they can see from their carseats, but I guess it's enough. "Doe bi-tee!" Baby A exclaimed, which we finally translated as "So pretty!" And it was.