I’m writing this half jokingly and half seriously because, seriously, my little men are in heaven here in New Hampshire for Christmas. Since we arrived last week, they’ve had an abundance of time with Oma and Opa, quality time with Daddy, and more sunshine than they’ve seen most of fall and winter in Washington. While Washington definitely has its charms, there’s something to be said for the crisp, cold weather of winter back East, and I swear the snow on the ground just fills us all with glee.
I think one of the best parts of our trip thus far is that there’s actually deceptively more to do than one would thing. Washington has all the amenities you could ever want. New Hampshire has nature…and snow. There’s yet to be a day where we haven’t bundled up these little gentlemen for a snowball fight outside, or a walk or two down the street. And, while yesterday may have been chillier and windier than we love, there’s nothing better than fresh air for little boys.
One of the most beautiful thing about this age of our boys is that they really don’t need or expect much. I think society puts those expectations on us as parents, and children are simply sucked into the mold. With this Christmas season, it’s become very important to us to ensure they find joy in the simpler things – like walks with Oma and Kasha, or decorating the Christmas tree, or filling a sled with snowballs. Those are the little things that last forever, and they’re the best gifts for my mama heart.
We’re by no means minimalists, but I’ve mentioned before that the concepts of minimalism really appeal to me overall. Especially in this season, I think that this is a great way to keep Christmas simpler and sweeter, and we can see the joy on their faces. Gifts are fun, and sharing the wealth (literally) is truly a pleasure, but these are the things that we’ll remember, and that my boys will enjoy the most.
So, this season, we’re aiming for less toys, less extravagance, more experiences. More joy. More laughter and memories. More building gingerbread houses and eating too many cookies. Sometimes simpler things are just better – especially for Christmas.
