The Season of Celebrating

This has been a weekend of celebrating. A big five-year-old birthday, getting her OWN library card, and a big promotion for Daddy led to warm celebrations with loved ones and served as the perfect launch for the month-long holiday festivities ahead. I definitely love summertime, but now through New Year's is by far my favorite time of the year.

Holiday music is playing in my kitchen, winter stories are emerging, and plans are percolating for a delightful family Thanksgiving and a December full of seasonal celebrations. City holiday tree lightings, a visit to a Christmas tree farm to select the *perfect* family tree, Santa spottings, holiday brunches, open houses, winter solstice celebrations, and a trip to the Nutcracker ballet make this time of year magical for all of us.

I don't know if it's my age (34), my increasing focus on more mindful mothering, or my maturing little family--probably a bit of everything--but I am much more conscious and contemplative of our seasonal celebrations now than ever before. Among our everyday to-dos, I am trying to stop and think more carefully about how we celebrate this enchanting time of the year. I am conjuring new family traditions and enhancing old ones. For instance, celebrating the winter solstice will be a bigger event for us this year and our holiday party hosting continues to be altered and embellished.

What seasonal celebrations are you preparing for over the next few weeks, and what are some of your family's holiday traditions, old and new?

Friday Night Lights

Wishing you a bright start to your weekend!

Take the Bus

We have been on a bus kick lately. While we greatly rely on public transportation in general, I am loving our city bus system even more than usual recently. I think part of it is that we are at a nice spot age-wise now where my five-year-old is fairly self-sufficient on the bus, I don't need to lug a stroller for my two-year-old, and my 10-month-old is still content to be carried in the Ergo. I think also as the weather becomes cooler and more variable, we are increasingly drawn to museums and other indoor spaces on easy bus routes. And the kids absolutely adore the bus as an integral part of our city adventures. In fact, the journey--watching the fascinating people and places we see from the bus--is often more interesting than the destination itself.

My neighbor told me about a great iPhone application called "Catch the Bus," which uses real-time GPS to let riders know when the bus will arrive at various stops, rather than relying on bus schedules. There are also similar apps for other devices. This is very helpful for city parents who don't want to be lingering outside with little ones for too long!

City parents: How do you rely on your city bus and subway system for your city homeschooling?