Twinkle Lights and Tinkering Songs

I absolutely love the Christmas season. While I'm sure each of us has their own holiday preferences, mine consist mainly of twinkle lights and tinkering songs. I know what you are thinking. No, I'm not sure tinkering is a word, but it's the only "word" I can think of so hang with me. It will all make sense in a moment. . .

I was driving home from work last night, listening to the new lullaby Christmas album I picked up last week and being dangerously distracted by the large array of twinkle lights that adorn many of the houses along my route. There is just something lighthearted and magical about twinkle lights. I prefer the white ones, the icicle kind. They are like little drops of whimsy falling from the sky. So fun! And if the twinkle lights weren't enough to make this girl's heart leap with joy this season, I found a sweet, tinkering (there's that word again) Christmas lullaby record at Babies R Us the other day. My mom and I were shopping with Hope when the most adorable Christmas music started playing. All of your favorite Christmas songs on the xylophone or some cute, little instrument I can't spell.

You have to understand, I have really been into the xylophone and the glockenspiel since Hope was born. It all started when Dave found the Rockabye Baby Collection. When we brought Hope home from the hospital, we played the Coldplay version in the car and now I will forever have those little tinkering melodies in my heart and mind. So thus began my love affair with quirky German instruments.

But back to Christmas. . .I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find this CD. The songs are so simple and sweet. They really set the mood I am after during the holidays. Joy and wonder. And I suppose that's why I like the twinkle lights as well. Joy and wonder. That's not to say there isn't a place for the seriousness and mystery that say, Trans-Siberian Orchestra might bring to the table. There's definitely room for that and I've venture to guess my husband would take full-on Christmas rock and roll over my lullabies.

But as long as I'm in charge of the Christmas spirit in our house (I'll never officially be in charge of the music, but I can definitely influence), there will always be white twinkle lights and tinkering songs. The lightness and brightness of these things remind me of the joy we have in knowing Christ and the wonder we can experience through our relationship with Him. That's what I'm after this this season. What about you?

P.S. I've been trying to locate this CD online to post a link, but I'm not having any luck. As an alternative, I'd recommend Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas if you are interested in tinkering songs. Not quite lullabies, but sweet and quirky for sure!