According to Rubi, Christmas is in the Details

I don’t know what happened this year with Rubí, but she turned into this Christmas details monster as soon as the season hit.

Rubí even posed ever so sweetly this year for Christmas portraits.

It was a very precious kind of “monster” no doubt, but each day she seemed to hit me with some new details on her invisible list that I needed to be doing. Her imagination and creativeness seemed to be running overtime.

Marta used to call me “Detallista” meaning someone who is meticulous with their work and gives attention to detail. It was the only word I could think of to describe Rubí this Christmas season. She jumped into her ideas with all she had, and recruited me almost daily. No time to be sick Nana, we have to be elves and get to work, seemed to be her demeanor the entire time.

There were times I was grateful for the distraction of being sick, missing John as he couldn’t make it this Christmas, and lonely for my mom this time of the year.

Each day I would wake up and she’d be ready to tell me her plans for the day.

One of the first places to start at Christmas, is the lights.

Ezra enjoyed this part, too.

Cleaning is also very important. (LOVE that apron!)

The Christmas tree is a huge detail for the holiday.

Remembering why we have Christmas is the best detail.

When Rubi saw I wasn’t hanging Yaya’s old Christmas tree balls, she became sad. I explained that Ezra was at the age to grab ornaments from the tree and maybe break them.

I remember pulling out old ornaments when I was a kid and I would ask my mom, Why do you keep these old    awful things?

“They were my mothers,” Mom would softly say, and I would kinda of understand.
Now I see some old awful ornaments, and even though my Christmas boxes could use the space, I can only think…

“They were my mothers….”

So I so appreciated that Rubi wanted the ornaments to be out where they could be seen.

Rubi had the idea to string the ornaments high and on garland in front of the big sliding glass door.

We were both glad to see Yaya’s Christmas balls displayed.

Speaking of Yaya, we kept her image close by.

Something special on the tree, a gift that Rubi picked out – the cardinal ornament.

There are a lot of details in the Christmas village, the Just Married couple in front of their home… But Rubi wanted it to have Christmas lights on it too.

Horses pulling wood down the street.

The fountain in our village square, with yes, you guessed it, a Cardinal bird.

The Dalmatian getting a bath in front of the fire house.

Rubi made sure the choir in front of the church was just right

Rubi took the stress out of making Mom’s fudge by helping and being there for support.

She told me she learned a lot about patience making fudge. Our first batch wasn’t perfect, but she had fun eating the ‘mistakes’

Another tradition in our house, sugar cookies, and Rubi jumped in to help.

Decorating them is another family tradition.

God bless this sweet child. She took my lonely for John and Mom Christmas, and made it super special. I was never allowed to be blue, I appreciate her so much-my detallista.