Nearest Distant Shore: Solstice

Today is the shortest day of the year. We woke up in the dark, temperatures hovering around the freezing mark. Coastal NC is not supposed to be this cold at this time of year and the too-cold, too-few hours of daylight are starting to wear on me a bit. For several days running I've had a really hard time getting warm enough, with the exception of a random hot flash here and there.

Due to our financial situation, as well as my own natural tendencies toward procrastination, not much had been done in the way of Christmas shopping prior to Monday. I had ordered some things for the grandparents and my sisters, but had bought nothing for Liam or S. So Monday morning I dropped Liam off at school and hit the shopping trail. I knocked out most of Liam's list fairly quickly (it runs the gamut from a toy chainsaw to PS2 games), then started the really fun shopping: stocking stuffers!

My mama was the consummate Santa when it came to stockings. She always managed to find the perfect blend of silly and fun and useful. Even though she still gives me terrific presents, I miss getting a stocking stuffed by Mama Claus, and have tried to carry on the tradition for Liam according to the standards she set. After two days I've hit critical mass and now have to either quit shopping or buy him a bigger stocking. Here's what he's getting:

pencils and a pencil sharpener (he loves him some school supplies)
miniature Sharpies (ditto)
sunglasses
Hot Wheel 1968 Corvette
slipper socks
toothbrush (this is traditional)
tiny flashlight
Slinky
miniature Kids Next Door action figures
yo-yo
paddle ball (this was actually on his list)
whoopee cushion
Nemo Crazy Eights cards
kaleidoscope (I may decide to keep this for myself)
Harry and the Lady Next Door
Terry's chocolate peppermint "orange" (it's shaped, but not flavored, like an orange)
sugar-free candy canes

I only wish Santa would be stuffing my stocking half so well!

Since Liam is in year-round school, his Christmas break runs longer than most. He gets out at noon today (it's actually a hurricane makeup day) and doesn't go back until January 10th. That's the day after his birthday, so in a little while I'm going to take his favorite goodies to his classroom so that he can celebrate his birthday a bit early with his school friends. Then he has a date with his grandpa to go shopping, and I'm going to do my last-minute running around, so that for the next two days I can just hang with my kid and make cookies and sausage balls and whatever else we decide we need to make.

And Saturday is my birthday! It's also the birthday of my sister and my best friend. Tracy won't be here until next week, but J and I will get together as usual in the afternoon, to exchange our gifts and drink champagne. There may also be cake, as I'm giving serious thought to making myself a birthday cake this year (I'm leaning towards red velvet). For sure there will be gossip and serious talk and complaints and laughter. She's been my best friend for 25 years and even though we have rarely been at the same stage of life at the same time, we are truly sisters in all the ways that matter, and I treasure her more every year.

Since it's not actually All About Me at this time of year (much to my annoyance), I will allow Christmas festivities to resume after supper on ~~Christmas Eve my~~ my birthday. I may even go to church; I'm feeling the need to hear some Christmas music. Then we'll play Santa and I'll probably fall asleep on the couch in the glow of the Christmas tree, so I won't miss one single second when Liam wakes up.

The best thing about the solstice is that there will be an infinitesimal lengthening of the days from now on. Every day will have just a little more daylight; every day will bring us a little closer to spring and warm weather. I'm not one to wish time away (it already moves too fast to suit me), but I need that promise of light in the long days of winter ahead.

Comments

Stockings are the absolute best part of Christmas morning. We *all* get one. The husband learned very early on in our married life that his days would be so much more...pleasant...if he remembered this little factoid.

Bring on the longer days of sunlight, baby. Infinitesimal is better than nothing.

P.S. Very jealous I won't be there to toast you with champagne on the day.

Posted by: Jennifer | December 21, 2005 at 11:24 AM

Early Happy Birthday, just in case I don't get back to say it. Hope your birthday and Christmas are just great for you!

Posted by: kenju | December 21, 2005 at 07:13 PM

So you are a Christmas Eve baby? Sounds like Liam is getting quite a stocking. My mama used to do fun stockings for us too. Always a fun mix of necessity and fun stuff. I try to do that for my husband but my stocking stays empty. He doesn't get it.

Posted by: Deana | December 21, 2005 at 09:06 PM

Great stocking stuffers. We had a great mix in our stockings growing up too and do the same now. My wife and I play Santa for each other when it comes to the stockings. You are right, it is a fun part of the gift buying.
And I loved Harry growing up. Harry the Dirty Dog might be my alltime favorite from when I was a kid.

Posted by: Mayberry | December 22, 2005 at 08:52 AM

Man, now I feel like my kids need better stocking stuffers...

My Thirteen are up!

Posted by: InterstellarLass | December 22, 2005 at 03:49 PM

Wow! Thank you for that post. I am TERRIBLE at stocking stuffers. My mother always gave us toothbrushes and then oranges and other stupid big stuff to fill the stocking!! I'm taking your list with me to the store tomorrow. My "Liam" would love the whoopie cushion, slinky, Kids Next Door figure, paddle ball. The only cool thing I found was a bag of Bertie's Beans.
Have a great holiday and birthday celebration. Jagman's birthday was the 17th, and I always feel like he gets shortchanged so close to the holiday. But it sounds as if you have an appropriately extravagent celebration planned!
Happy champagne and red velvet cake.

Posted by: catherine | December 23, 2005 at 09:22 PM