For anyone who has read my October post on Halloween, it will come as no surprise that when it comes to celebrations involving children.....I go a bit overboard.
So, with December's festivities, the madness was expected to turn into mayhem. I think between the OWC Carnival, the Sunday Soul Sante, the I Love Indiranagar Christmas Carnival, the Christmas tree decorations kids party at my place, a visit to Leela Palace's tree and gingerbread house, I possibly covered every Christmas themed event within a 5 km radius....and had as much, if not more, fun doing it....as my kids!!!
I must add that the "real" gingerbread house you see on the top right came from a playdate that my son was invited to - apparently, I am not the only one who gets super spirited in December :).
To end the year on a high note, we (the Pre kindergarten kid' parents from my younger son's school) decided to co-host a "Pre-K Christmas Party" in a children's park.
As a reminder, I have lived in the US for over 10 years and done the whole Rockefeller Center Xmas lighting thing in NYC, stood in freezing (and this no exaggeration!) cold in downtown Minneapolis to watch the Holidazzle Parade, done cookie exchanges with friends, etc. etc. But, to tell you the truth, the enthusiasm with which this party was undertaken by all the parents - really left me amazed!
It made me realize how far as a generation we have come. Today, we truly embrace the cultures, traditions, the big and small nuances of different religions with so much gusto. It is heartwarming to know that my son goes to school with children of parents who embrace each other's beliefs in a truly loving way. As parents, we all want our children to grow up being embracive, non judgmental and global citizens.
It started with a small thought...which morphed into a meeting at a coffee shop....and then just like a snow ball....it kept gaining momentum and whole lot of beautiful ideas.
This "little" list, cumulated into a memorable afternoon at the Children's Park where the children got a chance to get some "Xmas themed nail art" done, make handcrafted snowmen using cookies and paper, decorate a large tree, write their names on decorations and hang those on the tree to be taken home as a keepsake, decorate their own cookies with lots of sprinkles, take home their personal gingerbread house goodie bags, run around with home made pinwheels, and - hold your breath - "a visit from Santa"!! A Santa who came in great spirits and gave each of them a personalized book!!
One of the most touching aspect of the event was the inclusion of representatives from a charitable organization (www.karunashraya.org) which provides hospice for cancer patients. The children were able to get tattoos from these representatives and the parents were in turn encouraged to donate towards the charity. All in all, it truly gave children the complete picture behind the term "spirit of giving".
In regards to the food, let me just say on the onset that none of the above are from my kitchen. These are all showcasing the wonderful creativity of the moms who all got goodies to share for the kids and their parents (thank God for that!). We also had chips and dips, veggies and fruits, pizzas, jam and cheese sandwiches, cookies etc.
A Christmas celebration, that was made meaningful by the participation of all......could there be a better way to start the holidays for our kids?
So, happy holidays to all and I truly wish all of you a joyful and healthy 2014!!
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