Growing up each of us kids received an ornament at Christmas, usually representing something significant that had happened or changed. When each of us left home, Mom gave us our bucket of ornaments for our own tree.

I’ve started a similar collection (at least, so far I’ve managed a representative “first Christmas” ornament for each of them– I say representative because only one actually says “first Christmas”) but I don’t at this point expect to send them with my children when they leave.

Sarah and I, looking at our baby books, asked Mom when we were going to get them. “You don’t,” she said. “I made them for me.”

In the same way, I’ll still put the kids’ initials on each ornament, and have their stories connected to each (which I intend to expand on below). But I think those will be more for dividing them up after I don’t need them anymore.

Christmas Ornaments 2006

Elisha’s first Christmas: Mama bear packing baby bear on her back. This baby we were given an Ergo baby carrier, and have used it a lot. Other than being green, the bear pack looks a lot like ours.

Melody: A black bear sitting at the bottom of a crescent moon. For quite a while now she has had an “eagle eye” for any moon– partial or full– in the sky or a picture or ad, and immediately begins singing her “I see the moon” song.

Natasha: A bear on its tummy reading an open book. Both my girls love books, but this year Natasha began “reading” to her dolls, sister and brother (I got this great series of Natasha “reading” Prince Caspian to a fussy Elisha to settle him down.)

She has also made it abundantly clear she’s ready to learn in earnest. At this point, though, I think I will wait the 3-weeks until her 4th Birthday. Things aren’t likely to slow down much before then (what with Christmas dinner here, the floor being pulled out and a new one in, and Jay heading back to work on the 3rd.)