*
It's 9 days before Christmas, and I'm at a crossroads.
Bronwynn is finally old enough to begin understanding the holidays--she notices Christmas trees and lights all around her. She is singing the lyrics to several holiday songs I've been playing on the stereo. She's fully appreciating the wonder of a plate full of Christmas cookies.
She has not, however, met Santa or made any requests for Christmas gifts. I've barely mentioned Santa, actually. Mostly, it's because I haven't had the energy to schlepp a toddler to the mall to sit on a smelly, bearded stranger's lap.
But it could also be that I'm not talking about Santa because I'm ambivalent about his role at Christmastime.
I did try to have a heartfelt conversation with B about what Christmas symbolizes--I waxed poetic about God, grace, peace, sacrifice, unconditional love. She listened intently for, oh, about 14 seconds...and then asked me to put the ears back on her Mr. Potato Head. Trying to regain her attention, I said, "...and Christmas is also Jesus' birthday!" to which her face lit up and she squealed "Yay! Happy burt-day! We have burt-day cake??"
I asked Kris if he wants to teach her about Santa and he said absolutely. Santa, to him, is about giving, and fostering a sense of wonder and mystery in children. You can't have Christmas without Santa, he argued.
Is he right?
The cynic in me says that Santa is a big fat lie. And why would we deliberately deceive our children? Especially with a lie that implies that this mysterious person has unlimited access to every child's material desire? That toys magically appear under a Christmas tree and don't cost anyone anything? In this economy?! Ho Ho Noooo way.
Yet, I remember fondly the anticipation and excitement I felt around Christmas and Santa. It did serve to spark my imagination and sense of wonder and mystery. (That is, until I learned the truth and felt let down...which one could argue is another rite of passage).
So here I am. I have two gifts to wrap for each child, one of which is something I made (Kris and I wholeheartedly agree that we will keep the commercial part of Christmas very small). What do I put on the tags? "From Mommy and Daddy"? or "From Santa"? One of each? Or maybe Santa should only bring goodies like chocolate...something that health-conscious Mommy and Daddy rarely ever provide?
And if I choose to give Santa the boot...what will Bronwynn think in a few years when she sees her friends getting gifts from the jolly old guy?
What do you think? How do you handle the Santa myth?
Memoirs of Miles: My Life Thus Far
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Labels:
Memoirs of Miles,
Miles,
videos
It's noisy here. The constant chatter, the flurry of activity, banging and wailing of something much bigger that I haven't figured out quite yet. This thing they call "sister."
Most days, I can't find my fingers. They brought me such comfort in the womb. Now, all but gone. I feel them, like the phantom sensation of an amputee. I draw them to my mouth and taste nothing but...cotton. The fibers make me gag. On the rare instance they do appear, these fingers betray me like little daggers. I inadvertently stab myself in the eye.
Occasionally the pure joy (Ecstasy!) of warm, sweet mother's milk in my mouth, trickling down and filling my belly. Oh, how good it feels. I drift away under its intoxicating spell... only to awaken to the cold, lifeless, sterile feeling of rubber against my tongue.
You can imagine the confusion and horror, can't you?
Alas, it's been a month and I've decided to stay. People seem to like me, constantly smiling and cooing and chattering in my face like baboons. They take me out into the warm sunshine and rock me against their soft breasts. I enjoy the rhythmic thump-thump of their heartbeats. Sometimes a gentle song floats by my ears and it helps me drift to sleep.
Yes, and there's laughter. Lots of laughter. I'm not sure what that's all about, but I hope to participate someday.
Most days, I can't find my fingers. They brought me such comfort in the womb. Now, all but gone. I feel them, like the phantom sensation of an amputee. I draw them to my mouth and taste nothing but...cotton. The fibers make me gag. On the rare instance they do appear, these fingers betray me like little daggers. I inadvertently stab myself in the eye.
Occasionally the pure joy (Ecstasy!) of warm, sweet mother's milk in my mouth, trickling down and filling my belly. Oh, how good it feels. I drift away under its intoxicating spell... only to awaken to the cold, lifeless, sterile feeling of rubber against my tongue.
You can imagine the confusion and horror, can't you?
Alas, it's been a month and I've decided to stay. People seem to like me, constantly smiling and cooing and chattering in my face like baboons. They take me out into the warm sunshine and rock me against their soft breasts. I enjoy the rhythmic thump-thump of their heartbeats. Sometimes a gentle song floats by my ears and it helps me drift to sleep.
Yes, and there's laughter. Lots of laughter. I'm not sure what that's all about, but I hope to participate someday.
Poop Power! Recycle your baby's used diapers...
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Labels:
poop
Now this is da shit...Check out this article from CleanTechnica.com.
"In a move that fairly reeks with symbolism, The U.K. companies Versus Energy and Knowaste have teamed up to build the first diaper recycling plant in England, and it will be located in a region that was once the heart of the Industrial Revolution. The new recycling plant will power itself with sustainable energy generated from the organic materials recovered from disposable diapers.
Organic waste accounts for only 2% of the materials in “pre-owned” disposable diapers. What happens to the other 98%? It will be dried, sterilized, and separated into reusable paper pulp and plastic. The end use of those materials has not yet been announced but based on Knowaste’s past experience, roof tiles, shoe insoles, wallpaper, plastic “wood,” and industrial thickeners are likely candidates.
Move Over, Coal: Here Come the Diapers
The new recycling plant will be located in the town of West Bromwich in Birmingham, in the Black Coal country that was a center of the Industrial Revolution in England. With the new recycling plant, West Bromwich is leading the way to a new green revolution that focuses on sustainable fuels and reusable products rather than the dig, consume, and dispose model of a bygone era.
The Worldwide Challenge of Diaper Recycling
Knowaste calls it a worldwide challenge, and they should know. The company focuses on tackling “difficult” waste, and that includes diapers, bedliners, feminine hygiene products, incontinence products used by adults and the disabled, and related waste from hospitals. With a rising, aging global population and the prospect of developing countries bringing more consumers into the disposable product fold, this waste stream will soon become a torrent.
The Future of Diaper Recycling
It should be noted that some form of diaper-to-energy recycling already takes place in municipalities that use waste-to-energy incinerators. CleanTech Biofuels is one U.S. company that is taking it to the next level with a waste-to-ethanol facility. The full recycling model of Knowaste’s approach brings disposable diapers and other related products even closer to a more sustainable diaper model of multiple re-using and repurposing."
"In a move that fairly reeks with symbolism, The U.K. companies Versus Energy and Knowaste have teamed up to build the first diaper recycling plant in England, and it will be located in a region that was once the heart of the Industrial Revolution. The new recycling plant will power itself with sustainable energy generated from the organic materials recovered from disposable diapers.
Organic waste accounts for only 2% of the materials in “pre-owned” disposable diapers. What happens to the other 98%? It will be dried, sterilized, and separated into reusable paper pulp and plastic. The end use of those materials has not yet been announced but based on Knowaste’s past experience, roof tiles, shoe insoles, wallpaper, plastic “wood,” and industrial thickeners are likely candidates.
Move Over, Coal: Here Come the Diapers
The new recycling plant will be located in the town of West Bromwich in Birmingham, in the Black Coal country that was a center of the Industrial Revolution in England. With the new recycling plant, West Bromwich is leading the way to a new green revolution that focuses on sustainable fuels and reusable products rather than the dig, consume, and dispose model of a bygone era.
The Worldwide Challenge of Diaper Recycling
Knowaste calls it a worldwide challenge, and they should know. The company focuses on tackling “difficult” waste, and that includes diapers, bedliners, feminine hygiene products, incontinence products used by adults and the disabled, and related waste from hospitals. With a rising, aging global population and the prospect of developing countries bringing more consumers into the disposable product fold, this waste stream will soon become a torrent.
The Future of Diaper Recycling
It should be noted that some form of diaper-to-energy recycling already takes place in municipalities that use waste-to-energy incinerators. CleanTech Biofuels is one U.S. company that is taking it to the next level with a waste-to-ethanol facility. The full recycling model of Knowaste’s approach brings disposable diapers and other related products even closer to a more sustainable diaper model of multiple re-using and repurposing."
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