Wonder

It's the wonder of the season.  Or, it's the wonder of children.  Either way, my heart is full of wonder when I watch and listen to my children.

Luna asked me many, many questions about Santa on Christmas Eve.  She wanted to make sure she understood it all, I guess.  She thought he was invisible.  I said, "Santa is watching."  Her eyes filled with wonder.  "How?"

I told her that he was watching to make sure all the children were in bed.  For added measure I told her that if any children are awake or are sneaking around the house he would pass by that house.  Luna's eyes got even wider.  "Uh oh," she says.  And she meant it.  (Luna has been having trouble staying in bed lately - she sneaks around looking for me so she can have 3 or 4 more hugs or kisses.  I think she's just trying to smuggle those fairy cards.)

We traveled to Bloomington between Christmas and New Year's to visit friends.  While driving along the highway, Luna exclaims, "Mama, what is that?!"  It was a factory.  The sky was brilliant blue and very white smoke was billowing out of the factory chimney.  What we were actually looking at aside, the smoke cloud was beautiful.  In fact, the contrast of white against blue was quite magical.  I told Luna it was a factory.  Luna said matter-of-factly as if she had just learned one more secret of the world, "Yes, Mama.  That is a cloud making factory.  That factory is making clouds for the sky."  Who was I to argue that imagery?

Tulip got a guitar for Christmas and yesterday I heard her playing it in her room.  She had shut the door almost all the way and had put a Christmas music CD on her new boombox.  She was trying to strum along to "I Wish It Was Christmas Today".  There was just enough of a crack in the door for me to watch.  That was pretty awesome.

For the first time we told the kids they could stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve.  They were so excited.  We had a movie marathon.  They usually go to bed by 8:00 and when our second movie ended at 9:30, Gabe announced that we had enough time to watch two more movies.  You should have seen Wolfie's face.  His eyes got so wide and his grin just kept growing and growing and then it was a mad Saavedra sibling dash to the shelf of DVDs to pick out a new movie.

Finally, I read Wonder by R.J. Palacio.  Everyone should read this book.

Happy New Year to all of you!