Primitive christmas

I thought having a child would bring back the excitement of the holidays. I thought it would be magical.

Boy, was I wrong.

More than anything, it makes me realize how incredibly commercialized the entire winter has become. No more cabin fever, snow fights, or icy nights snuggled together by the fire. No, since OCTOBER we've been bombarded with buy, buy, buy.

I mean, why be together in the cold in the dark when you could be out shopping for things you don't need from Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Mexico, or the Phillipines from your local Wal-mart? Why teach your children how wonderful family is when the times get tough when you can instead, set them in front of the television and rot their brains slowly and quietly?

This is one of the reasons I've decided that this year will be a primitive holiday season. We didn't celebrate the holidays until they actually arrived. *gasp* We didn't start decorating for Christmas until... December. I know. Strange, yes?

And when we decorate this year, it will be with family decorations. We've cut our cedar tree out of our yard. We are stringing popcorn and cranberries for garland. I made gingerbread cookies with icing for ornaments. (so who has a problem with edible ornaments? not me!) We're making the presents we give. We're reusing boxes and bags that we've collected since last year. We're tying bows with yarn. And maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to recapture that Christmas spirit - that family magic that keeps us going through the winter cold.