minimal christmas {still + life}

These pictures were taken about an hour apart yesterday morning. 7:10 and 8:30. Ish. After I took the first Neel and I looked at the tree and both liked it so much with just the lights. Neel said, maybe just the lights and the star? Could we do just that?

So I opened the first box of ornaments and there was the star, right on top. A sign. I felt a little clutch when I saw the garland that Callum and I made when we was just wee and we were living in San Diego, but we held firm and here we are. Lights and a star. That's it.

You guys.....??? Can we do that? Just lights and a star? Really? Is it, you know, okay? Will Santa still come?

tuesday nights {still + life}

Neel's out of town tonight, so after his hitting lesson, Cal and I are treating ourselves to dinner out. That's not how we've been rolling on Tuesdays, of late. I've mentioned, I think, that Cal has started cooking for us one night a week. We love it and he loves it. Because of his homework schedule, Tuesday night is his night. Last week, Neel taught him how to grill (Burgers. Awesome.), but the week before that, when I took these photos, was the first time he made a recipe that he was familiar enough with to move about the kitchen on his own, as if it was his own familiar territory.

He made us one of his favorites, Chorizo Sausage Tacos from Rick and Lanie's Excellent Cooking Adventure. It's one of our favorite cookbooks and has long been one of our favorite dinners. It was the first dinner Cal learned to make.

These are the things we do, teach our kids the skills they need to know to go forth and live their lives on their own. Laundry, cooking, ironing, making their beds. All the little tasks that make up daily life. So am I proud that Cal is accomplishing these things? Of course I am. But the satisfaction he feels in feeding us once a week, the lesson he's learning that feeding your family is not just an task of nourishment, but an act of love. Well, this is good.