Since Orlando’s been home doing rehab for his knee, we’ve had a few glorious weeks to spend with him. It just so happened those weeks fell over Thanksgiving, and perhaps just as important in my book, the weekend after Thanksgiving. In my family growing up, that was the time that we really dove in to the Christmas spirit. I’m talking my mom would start blaring the Christmas music the Friday after Thanksgiving at EIGHT IN THE MORNING and we were all forced to trudge downstairs and begin meticulously placing each ornament and holiday sentimental decoration exactly where it always goes in the house. I’m finding that the older I get, the more I find it my maternal duty to be an exact replica of my mom. Whether that’s to torture my kids in the same fashion or create lasting memories they’ll treasure forever, I’ll let you decide.
Perhaps the highlight among a series of highlights during the weekend, for me, was finding Pipe Creek Christmas Tree Farm in the middle of the Texas hill country that could at least attempt to recreate my childhood memories of trudging through row after row of Christmas trees to find “THE ONE”. It’s almost as serious as finding a life partner, to choose a tree that you will not only hack down with your two bare hands (Read: with a saw), but then have it lovingly adorn your home for the next month. I was a little nervous that this would be an IKEA-like odyssey that tests a family’s will to live, but it turned out to be a beautiful day filled with laughter.
Something about Cora wearing sunglasses makes her look so irreverant, right? It’s like she’s saying, “Yeah, I’m tall, so what?” or “What’s the big deal about Christmas tress anyways?” To appease her teenager-esque apathy, we also went to Dickens On Main in Boerne on Saturday, which is a crazy cute small town holiday festival with small businesses out the wazoo. Strolling down Main Street in Boerne is like you’ve been transported to a Norman Rockwell painting but all the prices are still modern day expensive.
Then on Sunday we went to see the Nutcracker at the Tobin Center, put on by Ballet San Antonio. I was slightly terrified to see how Cora would do during a two hour long session of the quiet game, but she surprised me once again with how well she did. Of course she had 847 questions throughout the production, and it’s impossible to get an almost three year old to whisper, but we were lucky that there were plenty of other kids in attendance and parents all have the same understanding smile when your kid is the one talking too loudly. It wasn’t until the last fifteen minutes that she really started getting rowdy and there were two back-to-back slow dances where general raucous would be discouraged. Thank goodness Orlando was there to take her out to the lobby and let myself and his little brother enjoy the rest of the performance. There are still a few showings this weekend, and if you haven’t seen a production in the Tobin Center yet I highly recommend making this your first. It’s just so stinking beautiful. You have to see it for yourself.
What was your Christmas kick-off weekend like? Full of whimsy and memories? Or chill with a side of leftover pumpkin pie? I want to hear all about it!
XO,
A
