Update ... I'm a Ringleader.

In a rare burst of authorly energy, I posted earlier in December about five extras I was going to try to fit in during the holiday season and dubbed these my "Five Golden Rings."  NTB, but I did accomplish all five, with varying degrees of success.

1.  Walk the Winter Lights at Central Park in Oak Brook.  

This one was easy peasy!  My daughter had two Friday night basketball games at the Oak Brook Park District.  She has to arrive thirty minutes before her games so she and my hubby went inside after we parked the car, and I walked down to the Winter Lights.  The weather was balmy so the walking path was crowded with families and strollers, etc.  I couldn't walk in speed mode, but I enjoyed the jaunt and refrained from barrelling anyone over.  These lights are cheerful and free and they stay up until sometime in February.  Perhaps I'll go back in 2024!

  

 

 

 

 2.   Sit on the couch with my kids and watch the Mickey Christmas special of their choice.  

We didn't fit this one in until late afternoon on Christmas Day.  It wasn't a fail, but it wasn't the special cozy moment I'd been imagining.  My kids aren't 6, 4, and 2 anymore.  They're 17, 15, and 13.  They all reported for duty and my husband settled in as well.  We watched the the one where Goofy's son Max loses his faith in Santa Claus and the one where Huey, Dewey, and Louie repeat Christmas Day over and over again until they learn the true meaning of Christmas.  We are in a new Christmas era and that's okay. 

 

 

  

3.  Walk to Elmhurst History Museum and enjoy the Lost Chicagoland Department Stores exhibit. 

I totally did this!  I walked over late afternoon on a Friday and spent about thirty minutes taking in this exhibit.  I did NOT grow up in Chicagoland so had very few personal memories or ties to these department stores, but I still enjoyed thinking about the elegance and elevation of the old-fashioned department store experience.  I have my own special memories of taking the bus to the downtown (Hamilton, OH) Elder-Beerman, having lunch with my Grandma Hinkel in their tea room, and her treating me to cinnamon bears at their candy counter.  I also have fond memories of visiting various holiday windows and displays in downtown Cincinnati as a girl. 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Do one "extra thing" at church.  

The empty stable early in December.

Full house on Christmas Night

I actually did two "extra things" at church, but neither required much effort so I am not patting myself on the back too hard.  One was that I went to 7:30am mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception since, due to space constraints, parents were discouraged from attending the more convenient school celebration.  Not bitter at all.  I'm fine.  Seriously though, I felt like the mass meant more to me because my husband and I had to work a bit to get there.  The other thing I did was attend the lighting of the stable after 4:30 mass.  We processed outside, sang a few Christmas carols, and the lights were turned on so we could all see ... the empty stable.  It was a little chilly, but sweet, and there were cookies afterward (inside).  Also sweet.  To be honest, this activity would typically have been a tough sell for my family, but because my daughter was altar serving and had to process out for the lighting, it was easy for my husband and I to attend as well.  I had intended to try and attend one of the evenings of reflection, prayer, and music, but I didn't make it.  Next year!

5.  Make Peppermint Crunch Puppy Chow and share with a friend. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made it, but I didn't share it with a friend because my family's overwhelming reaction was "meh."  To be fair, not one of them is a peppermint fan so I'm not sure why I thought this would be a hit.  Worth a try!  I made my own perfect puppy chow right before Christmas and shared that with friends instead. 

While I wouldn't categorize any of my "five golden rings" as life-changing, most were pleasant and positive and not one was arduous.  By writing them down and publishing them for my 0-3 blog readers, I felt a sense of accountability that was stronger than me shoulda woulda coulda-ing to myself about getting to the Winter Lights or checking out that exhibit before it ends.  Inspired by the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction I feel from grabbing these five golden rings, I have made a list of 24 for 24 that I will be using to get more out of life in the year to come.  Stay tuned.