Traditions...interrupted

It was a sad, cold day here. January 6th was Three Kings Day/ Epiphany. It's a day where children in Puerto Rico and other Latin countries wake up to find presents delivered all the way from Bethlehem by the Kings as a reward for their good behavior all year. Only...we had a problem Houston. It was 19 degrees outside with snow, and we couldn't find any grass to leave out for the camels to eat, as tradition dictates. This isn't going to go over so well.

The tradition is that children leave grass and water for the camels and leave some food out for the Kings to take a rest at your home, before heading out to the next house. Because we are the only part Latin family in this 'hood, the spawn know that the Three Kings will have a long camel ride before they get to the next house. Needless to say, they looked for grass for an hour to no avail. With tears already welling up, they called it quits and headed inside: " I hate living where there is snow sometimes, Mama."  Trust me kid, me too.

I have to admit that it made me kinda sad too. I felt like we didn't do things right, like something was missing. I sat back and remembered my childhood in Puerto Rico. I would go to the fields near my house and pick the best and greenest grass for the camels. I also would ask to leave out some rice, beans, and pastels out for the Three Kings. If we'd had time to prepare, the Three Kings would get a soda to drink with their dinner or a Maltita India and the camels would get ice water to drink. I remember feeling so proud of myself for putting all these things together and also feeling like they would appreciate the meal. Maybe they would leave me that Barbie mansion I'd been after for years. Sadly, they never left me the mansion, but they did bring me a Barbie Corvette! That was a big deal!! I remember how happy I was that morning, opening up the gifts. Everyone knows the Three Kings are better than Santa Claus!!

Trying to avoid a complete catastrophe, I pulled the girls to me and told them: " let's make the best of it! They won't have grass this year but they will appreciate some water, and I'm sure the Kings would love some cookies, cake, and Maltita. I'm sure of it! Traveling by camel in the cold is hard on them, you know." The girls looked at me and agreed that this was the best plan. Pixy seemed cheery laying out the treats, while Banshee was worried that the wolves would eat everything before the Three Kings got to it all. I agreed to keep the boys upstairs,; I mean we didn't want them barking when the camels came inside to warm up, right?

We got everything taken care of and everyone went to bed on time. Pixy looks at me and says, " I hope they don't mind, Mama. I don't want them to be sad. They bring us such nice things every year and we don't have anything to give them!" Banshee added:" it's not even nice outside!" I agreed wholeheartedly, as I remembered going to bed in 80 degree weather with the windows open, waking up at every sound outside because it was the Three kings. 19 degrees, snow, and ice out there. What a crappy night to travel by camel. Here's hoping they make their way safely and in spite of the weather, come morning, we still find a little bit of sand on the floor from the camels' feet.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net "Camel Caravan In Desert" by Photokanok

Paying it forward 2013

The closer we get to Thanksgiving, the giddier I become. At our house, we try to do one good deed a day the whole year, but we ramp it up near the holidays. It's important to pay it forward and  not pay it back, because we want the goodwill, good intentions, happiness to catch on like a virus!! Let's face it, everything nowadays always holds a note of gloom, whether it's the news, or day-to-day nonsense. We need to combat that!!

What's the cure for the winter blues? Doing something for another person just because. No strings attached! There's not a better feeling in the world than getting he warm fuzzies after you've made someone's day. My project that goes on year-round, is to collect any used "play condition" cloth diapers, wash them and pass them on to needy Mamas. I sometimes give them a little lesson on how to use the diapers and what things to stuff them with(kitchen towels work, and socks too in a pinch). It feels good to know that these Mamas won't have to choose between putting food on the table or diapering their newborn. Sometimes, I had more Mamas asking for diapers than I had diapers!! It's a labor of love that I hope I can continue throughout the years.

Lisa's gifting again!

In addition to this project, I always pick a person to do something nice for daily. It can be nothing more than stopping to ask them how they' are doing, or sending a package of something that they really wanted, or complimenting someone on a job well done. This year, I've picked my recipient. She doesn't know that I'm up to something, as she's living with a disability and forgets things sometimes, but I see her at Mass and always try to help her caretakers out when they're there. They're always grateful that I sit in the same pew and don't ask if they need help, I just give it. Well, since I sit behind her, I've seen the condition of her wheelchair bag, and I've decided to gift her a new one anonymously. Maybe leave it with a note on her wheelchair when she's not in it. I'm notorious for stealthy sneaking, even when in plain sight, so it shouldn't be too hard...albeit funny, as I'm sneaking around in church. Ha! I'm positively giddy about it and can't wait to carry it out. Wish me luck!

So, what does his have to do with you? I challenge you to Pay it Forward, whether by doing a small good deed daily, a big project, or a stealthy good-deed drive by. The prize for this: warm fuzzies that will catch on and multiply until it's a virus everyone wants to catch. When the deed is done, come back here and report it!! Let us know what you've done, who was the recipient, and how it was received. Just remember the rules: don't expect anything back from recipient, don't break the bank, have fun, and share win everyone you know not in order to get a pat on the back, but with the sole intent to get them to do it too. That's it!! Simple, huh? Pay it Forward 2013 starts now!! :)

You know what to do!! Tell us all about your Pay it Forward adventures. Let's make this a new family tradition!! Have fun !! 

Photo "Wheel Chair In Hospital" by sakhorn38 from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Full moon fever

Last night, I was woken up by the Pixy at 3am: "Is it full moon time yet, Mama?" Nope, not yet, get back to bed! At our house, full moon time is always marked by a couple things: misbehavior by the wolves, i.e. dominance plays, howling randomly, wolfy behavior...you get the idea, and my spawn goes wild. I am not kidding! The girls energy level ramps up and they can't sleep, their appetite goes off, and my house turns into a zoo.

Back home in Puerto Rico, my family would say that full moon fever hits children and animals strongest, because they are so sensitive to nature and her rhythms. Something with the ground being close to their center of gravity, you know, they are 'in touch' with the Earth. I remember my uncles watching the calendar and watching the tides, too. They were fishermen and would often say that the full moon played havoc on their night fishing. This is usually about the time that they would come back with tales of mermaids, or shark attacks('Never swim where a female shark roams!'), or one night when they saw a drug deal going down in the ocean! Can you believe it? So, for me, being respectful of the full moon and her powers, is really second nature. I didn't know that this information would come in handy when I got older.

My personal big bad wolf and lord of our little wolf pack, Kai, goes very wolfy at full moon. He starts to do naughty things all over the place. This morning, I was nipped on the butt for shuffling by him, half-asleep I might add, and not greeting him. He opens trash cans, opens doors, climbs into beds to randomly wake up the occupants. He will hunt me when we go to the backyard and get extremely protective of the girls. You would think he would hunt down the girls--they're easy prey after all. But noooo. Kai likes to hunt his pack leader down, pregnancy is not an obstacle. In other words, if Kai was human, he would totally punch a guy with glasses. HAHA! I digress... I will go outside and about four steps into the backyard, I realize that everything has gone deathly quiet. No sounds whatsoever. This of course means, I need to brace myself because Kai is lying in wait somewhere around me. Sigh! Then, with no warning, BAM! He nips my butt, grab my ankles, and yes...he tries to pull my pants off. Randy wolf! It is actually kind of funny, but when you are on the receiving end of 100+lbs of wolf love, it can get frustrating. A few strong words on my part quickly calm him down and he is back to trying to figure out when to attack me next. Juneau, on the other hand, follows Kai's lead. He waits in the wings and then runs around in excitement. He is still getting the hang of full moon fever. Poor boy was forever tied to a chain when we rescued him, so he loves the feel of open space much better than silly wolf games.

All of the cubs (as they are lovingly called by family friends), wait with excitement and crazy anticipation for full moon night because it is the one night of the month when we go outside when it is dark enough for moonlight to shine over everything and we howl together. It is a way to get the energy out, worship the moon(who, I am sure appreciates it), and scare the neighbors silly. It truly is terrifying to hear Kai and Juneau howl and be accompanied by other howls too--even if they are human howls. There is something very primitive, powerful, and refreshing about letting it all out. Our old neighbors got used to it and though they wouldn't howl with us, would sit outside and just admire the moon. Our silly little family ritual rubbed off! They often said it took our little band of misfits to get them back in touch with nature. Woohoo! More power to us!

Tonight will be much the same as every other full moon night, with the exception that it is a new house, with new neighbors. But also, because we are actually in the countryside now! We might get some interesting answers back! Whoever hears an answer back first, gets a prize. Here's hoping I hear it first! Last full moon, Kai and Pixy banded together and won an ice cream before bed..cheaters. I hope that in spite of the silliness of this ritual, once the spawn grows up, they remember it and create something similar for their children. Sometimes, family legends get started this way.

Does your family have any traditions that are fun? Were they superstitious? Tell us all about it! We might use your tradition soon!