The Children's Museum of Phoenix has once again blessed us with several free passes, and Christmas break provided a great opportunity to use some of them. I took some sisters and cousins on Thursday afternoon; the weather was especially nice, and I think the girls enjoyed the outdoor activities as much as they did the indoor ones. I am always amazed at the creative decorations that fill the museum, most of which are crafted from common materials (such as silverware, sweaters, old pairs of shoes, CDs, and paper). Somehow they manage to make them beautiful and whimsical, versus tacky.
When I picked the girls up, I was invited into their house while they finished getting ready. Taking up about a fourth of the small living room, in one corner, were two decorated Christmas trees. Strung between the two trees were lights and other decorations that formed a canopy. Lots of balloons in various colors were taped to the ceiling. And underneath it all, below the lights and balloons, lay a large crèche. It appeared that the figures were ceramic, and I noticed two babies lying side by side. One was dark-skinned, and the other was light-skinned. I asked if there was a significance to having two babies to represent Jesus.
"No," the girl said. "Our aunt gave us two, so we just put them both there."
I was touched by the care and thoughtfulness this family put into that display. In that home, your eye was not drawn to the trees, but to what lay between them. In a tiny home with 8 people, they chose to use a significant portion of their living space to celebrate the Christ child.
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