MIL

I love to watch people. It's been a tradition of mine from as far back as I can recall. It probably started when I was about 5 years old and my brother was sitting on a bench at the boardwalk. I sat down beside him and asked something to the effect of what are you doing and why aren't you playing instead. He replied that he was people watching and that to him it was fun. And so started my own people watching affair. It isn't so ominous as watching and critiquing or judging, just simply watching the small moments of peoples life and seeing what makes them happy.

When I married Travis we started our married life by alternating homes at Christmas time. My first year at his house I was surprised and saddened by all the traditions that were so different than my house. But with the passing years I can't help but people watch and take the best of what I have learned. I have learned that my Mother In Law loves her kids, 5 boys and 1 girl. I have watched her slave in the kitchen at the holidays taking each child's favorite treat request and making it. She seems to enjoy this for no other reason than it makes her kids happy. I love this about her. She is such a role model of good mothering. Additionally I watch the kids lovely adore their Christmas stockings up close as well as from a far. And each year they engage in teasing banter about who's hand stitched stocking is the best and why. These beaded and sequined, hand stitched, felt masterpieces are a work of love. And the kids couldn't appreciate them more I don't think. It is a way they bond with one another.

And so after watching for years I can't help but borrow the best ideas and carry on a tradition of love. So this year I embarked on making these stocking masterpieces. Not all of them will be done in time for the holidays but I can't help but be thrilled as the kids have already gone bonkers numerous times and compared theirs with one another. And I have started taking requests about favorite holiday goodies. And although I can't stand coconut I am about to make a Cathedral Window, which is Travis's favorite goodie, from his mom. Wish me luck. Thanks Treila and all the other mothers out there for being such a good examples to me. I'm stealing the best traditions and carrying them on.