Tis the Season

I love Christmas time- the tree, decorations, wrapped presents, music- everything about it. It's one time out of the year that my husband and I give our children gifts without much restraint. I have wonderful memories of Christmas as a child, and feel so blessed to now do the same for my own children. But it's funny- I am a strong believer in Christ, yet I feel like I view Christmas a little differently than most born-again Christians.

I grew up hearing the saying "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" and that the meaning of Christmas was not in presents, or decorations, but in a baby born one night long ago. Today many Christians are offfended by the greeting "Happy Holidays!" because it doesn't specifically acknowledge Christmas. This time of year has become very commercialized, with advertisements for the holiday starting in early October. This materialism in society has led many Christians to limit the amount of gifts they give- not based on finances, but based on a desire to emphasize the Savior's birth rather than materialism. Another part of the season rejected by many is Santa. He is considered evil by many because he is viewed as trying to take the place of Christ this time of year.

So, I'm taking a brave step here and, in numerical fashion, revealing my own take on Christmas. I say brave because I don't think these are views widely held among Christians. Ok, here it goes...

1. I'm not offended by the phrase Happy Holidays.
It doesn't even annoy me. I'm not afraid to say Merry Christmas back, by any means. To me- the great part about this country is that no one is forced to celebrate Christmas, or even to be merry about it.

2. I don't believe Santa is evil.
I think he can be pretty fun- there are lots of great movies out about him- Polar Express and Arthur Christmas are two of my current favorites. That said, I don't believe in lying to my children either, so when my older girls bluntly asked if he was real, I didn't shake in my boots and break out in a sweat wondering what to tell them. And they weren't devastated by my answer, because there hadn't been an elaborate display beforehand to keep the dream alive. We still leave out reindeer food and cookies, and visit him at the mall. But I don't glare at his image every time I see him, or fear that he is trying to take the place of Jesus. He doesn't have that much power, at least in our house.

3. I don't limit Christmas presents, unless you're talking in terms of a preset financial budget.
I hear lots of people say that if three gifts were good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for their kids. If that works for their family and it is their conviction to do so, I completely respect that. But that philosphy is not in this house. We don't buy our kids a lot of extras throughout the year, so this is one time of a sort of unbridled restraint. Watching their joy build up to Christmas day, anticipating the gifts they will receive- I have more fun than they do! Remember that joy you felt as a kid Christmas Eve?! This is the part of parenthood where it's ok to live vicariously through your kids! I remember myself being a compassionate, caring child who wanted to help others. Receiving Christmas gifts once a year didn't dilute me for the upcoming year and turn me into a selfish person only concerned with materialism. We are raising our children to be compassionate, and are serving their community by feeding the homeless and donating toys to underprivelaged children. Buying them Christmas presents once a year does not take those values away.

4. Jesus is not the reason for the season. (Sort of.)
Now, before you begin questioning my salvation, let me explain. First of all, Christmas itself was originally a pagan holiday. I am not intending to start a history debate-I'm not in the least interested, actually- but in my humble opinion, if one is to consider Halloween an evil holiday, one must consider that both Christmas and Easter once were pagan holidays, more so than Halloween in my view since at least that holiday was originally All Saints Day. Christmas and Easter in modern day is like making lemonade out of lemons, and is a wonderful way for Christians to unite in remembering our Savior. But celebrating and recognizing the literal Christmas season  is not a commandment from the Bible! He most likely wasn't even born this time of year. What the Bible does command, however, is to remember Jesus all the time. We won't be held accountable for how we celebrated December 25 and the surrounding days. We WILL be held accountable for how we celebrated God's Holy Son January 1st through December 31st. I want to be thankful for my Jesus every single day, and rejoice in His birth so often that when the day of his real birth rolls around unbeknownst to me, I've already given thanks that morning. I want to live out a life that acts as if it is Christmas every day.

So, as I sit here admiring my Christmas decorations, I am thanking my God in Heaven that He loved me so much that He sacrificed His own Son for me. Tell me, what more could He give?? Let's celebrate. Merry Christmas!

A Dream Come True

When something is built up in your mind by someone else, whether it be a restaurant or a book or a movie, usually a small part of you feels let down when you experience it for yourself. I had heard my entire life how wonderful Disney World was, and while I believed it, I was a bit afraid that I would be let down when I finally experienced it for myself. But two weeks ago we took our family to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, and I found out that Disney is everything that I had heard, and more. So much more. It far exceeded my expectations, and I couldn't stop smiling the entire day. Walt knew a thing or two about how to create magic.

One of the best parts of our vacation was making a dream come true for our little girls. Ever since Brooke and Madeline were able to speak, they have asked over and over to see Cinderella's castle in person. They are infatuated with Disney movies, and every time the castle is shown in the intro, they scream out, "Cinderella's Castle!!!" and occasionally throw in, "Mommy, can we go there??" I would explain that the castle was in a land far, far away, and it costs a lot of money to go there. Mommy and Daddy would save up, and one day they would get to go. When the opportunity to take them for one day finally arrived last month, the excitement was palpable.

We spent one night in a two bedroom suite in Disney's Contemporary Resort, mainly because it had the monorail onsite that would drop us off in the Magic Kingdom in a matter of minutes. The hotel room was absolutely beautiful, and the girls were able to see the castle afar off while walking to dinner. Here they are seeing the castle for the very first time.

There is nothing like being a parent and watching the joy in your child's eyes as you watch a dream come alive. They were so happy and we had not even entered the park yet!! The next morning, Brooke seemed to be the one most excited, because she was old enough to truly understand what would take place that day. She knew she would be meeting the princesses at lunch in the castle, and that she would see Mickey's and Minney's houses. Watching her board the monorail and see her smile is definitely a highlight that I will always have to look back on. Madeline was beside herself with joy when she met Belle, and Isaac was more than happy to fulfill the role of prince, though he seemed more like a pirate when using the sword. I could go on and on about the rest of the day, but I'll leave with a few images instead. I am counting down the days until next year when we get to back for an entire week and experience it all over again.

The first four pictures are of Madeline modeling in the Dumbo ride. She asked her daddy to take these photos prior to leaving the elephant.

Brooke riding the teacup. A classic ride, I know, but one I may have to pass on next year.

Though it may not be clearly evident, Isaac was loving every minute. He cried everytime a ride ended.

Despite a terrible cold, Lydia was a perfect baby the entire day.

My baby girl and her prince.

I was outside with Sleeping Lydia, so I missed this part. My mom and Bill said that Isaac was so excited to see Mickey and Minney that he ran up and gave them both hugs. He also honked Mickey's nose.

Carousel.

This was taken at Cinderella's Round Table lunch. Madeline was beaming. She is infatuated with Belle.

I think Isaac liked Jasmine. He wouldn't pose with any other princess.

Madeline and Grandma on the Nemo ride in Epcot.

While we had planned to stay and watch the electrical parade and fireworks that night, my mom unexpectedly became ill. She fainted from dehydration while in line for the rocket ride, and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. She thankfully recovered a few hours later and was able to leave the hospital before morning. The staff at Disney was absolutely wonderful in taking care of us, and even put us up for another night in the Contemporary Resort for free. I absolutely cannot wait to go back next year. It really is a place where dreams can and do come true.

Elusive Perfection

I'm not sure exactly why I'm about to post this picture, except to say that if I were to see this image in someone else's house, it would in a wierd way lift my spirits to see that someone else is imperfect like me. I seem to live with a subconscious belief that every other young mother's house is spotless 24/7. And why exactly do I believe this? Think back to the last playdate you had at your house. How much time did you spend cleaning beforehand? Especially if that mother had not been to your house before? In my case, not only will I try to make sure my house is spotless, I will even reorganize closets on the slight chance that someone will need to look in there. I act as if my home is a model house up for sale. I have in my head that every other mother, including the one coming over, lives in a spotless home nearly every second of her life. But unless this elusive, perfect mother has given birth to robots, I should know this is not true. I work throughout the day keeping up my house, cleaning to the best of my ability while still  maintaining a life outside of Pledge and bleach. But perfection is always just out of reach. I wake up in the morning, determined to maintain and end the day with completely clean rooms, no laundry to be dealt with, children engaged with their mother all day long, and no project left undone. Which means I go to bed disappointed. Every. Single. Night. And I'm sick of it. So, here is a picture I took the other day, just five minutes after the kids and I had completely cleaned and organized the playroom from top to bottom.

I am not exaggerating in the least. Seriously, this is what my children can do in five short minutes. And that is ok. That is ok. That... Is... O... K...

Let that sink in. It's ok that my children play, and have fun, and make a mess. It'll get cleaned up. And it will get messy again. And so will the kitchen. And the laundry. And the unmade beds. It's all fixable. And cleanable. Because one day, I will have a clean, spotless house, 24/7. And there won't be fingerprints on the wall. Or peanut butter on the ottamon. Or crumbs under the table. There will only be memories. Of the time when my children were small, and laughed, and played, and made messes, and reminded their mommy of what really matters. And it didn't include Pledge. Or bleach. Or even, perfection.

Just a Minute

My mom told me a funny story several months ago. Brooke had asked for something, and my mom told her "Just a minute." Brooke sighed heavily, and said- "I hope your minute isn't as long as mommy's minute." It made me laugh, but also made me stop and think- do I really do that? Life is so busy, and it's easy to get caught up in the daily stresses, but sometimes the things that are most important- like family- get lost in the shuffle. One of my favorite quotes is "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." So many times I'm frustrated because the kids want to play with me, when all I want to do is pick up the toys from the floor and put away laundry. But here's the thing- I don't want my kids to look back on their childhood and say that I was the mom obsessed with a clean house. I want them to remember that I was a loving mom who gave them my time and attention, with patience and care.

Sara Groves says it perfectly in her song, Just One More Thing. I listened to it in college, but it's taken on a whole new meaning now in my life. I'll leave you with a poem that I read on the wall of my OB's office of my very last prenatal checkup with Lydia. It still makes me tear up. I pray that I never forget the little things, because the "little things" are all that matter in the end.

                               Give me patience when little hands
                             Tug at me with ceaseless, small demands.

                                   Give me gentle words and smiling eyes
                                  To keep my lips from hasty, sharp replies.

                                    Let not fatigue, confusion or noise
                                  Obscure my vision of life's fleeting joys.

So when in years to come my house is still,

Beautiful memories its rooms may fill.

Things to Remember

My kids say and do funny and memorable things on a daily basis. So why is it when I try to remember them for a blog post, they all leave my brain?? This post will likely need part 2 (or 3 or 4 or....) once I put my brain back together, but here are a few memories I've managed to dredge up from the recesses of my brain.

Brooke

*Bill came home from work a few months ago, and when she heard the garage door go up, she said, "Oh! My prince is here." Bill, not knowing this, greeted her by saying, "Hello, Snow White!"

*The girls were laying around on the couch one morning, and I told them they had to get up and go play. Brooke told me, "We are, mommy. We are playing Sleeping Beauty."

*The other night Bill made a donut run to fulfill Brooke's prayer request for donuts. About 10pm he went upstairs because she needed help in the bathroom. She asked him what he was eating downstairs. Bill asked what she meant. Brooke said, "Well, I heard you downstairs talking about chocolate and sprinkles."

*This morning she asked me for some tape and I told her we were all out. She said, "I don't think so. Can you look again?" I looked, and sure enough, there was another roll. She then walked into the playroom, and I overheard her tell Madeline and Isaac in a defeated voice, "Sometimes mommy is right, but sometimes mommy is wrong."

*She arranges a birthday party at our house every day. Complete with wrapped presents, cake, cupcakes, and decorations.

*She is a star negotiator, bordering on arguing. We are trying to teach her that fine line.


Madeline

*When she grows up, she wants to be a recycling girl (like a garbage man, but with recyclable items only.)

*At dinner one night a few weeks ago, she announced, "When I am five, I am going to try to get married."

*She would like to marry either her brother, daddy, pap-pap, or her friend Blake. Therefore Blake is her only option of that list. She has not yet learned of the arrangement I have with Amy and one of her boys.

*Aunt Leah was helping her make a crown, and she asked if she would like her to write "Princess Madeline." Madeline said, "No. QUEEN Madeline."

*The other day she was handing out stickers for good deeds. She gave Bill one for working hard outside building the new deck. She then showed him one with an ice cream cone on it, then pulled it away, saying "Now...you have to go to the Dairy Queen to get this one."

*She was casually referring to and greeting Lydia as "Stinky Pete" yesterday until I made her stop.

*After leaving the dentist office (who has the most amazing playground waiting room I have ever seen in a pediatric office) she told me, "I want to do this every day."

*She asked every. single. day. that I was pregnant with Lydia "Why oh why does it take so long to make a baby???"

*She listens to a CD of kids songs with headphones and sings at the top of her lungs, not realizing everyone can hear her.

*Her new favorite phrase, while giggling hysterically: "I have some bad news to tell you..."

*She walks around with both hands on her hips.

Isaac

(He doesn't speak much yet, but is still hilarious in expressions and gestures.)

*Several weeks ago,I gave him a stack of clothes to put away for me, and then found them a couple hours later. In the toilet.

*When he comes to me with brown all over his hands, I impulsively smell them to make sure it's really chocolate.

*While cleaning his face one day, he wouldn't sit still, so I said in a frustrated voice, "Isaac..." He stopped wiggling and looked up at me sweetly and said, "Mama?"

As aggressive as he can be with his sisters, yesterday he gently wiped a tear away from Brooke's cheek after she fell down.

*He sleeps clutching a matchbox car, a bear, a glowworm, and a sippy cup of water.

*When he wakes up he stands at the door and yells "MAMA!!" over and over at the top of his lungs. When I open his door he is usually standing there with his hair every which way holding a teddy bear and smiling sweetly at me.

*He is sitting beside me as I type pretending to read.

*He "talks" very loudly to Bill and I the entire time we are in the car. We will likely move him to the back row with Brooke and Madeline for the trip to Florida. Brooke and Madeline aren't so sure about this idea.

*He is either a lion, tiger, bear, dog, or monster on a regular basis. He randomly growls at strangers in public. Thankfully he doesn't try to bite them.

*He plays with his sister's baby dolls, but not in a sweet caring way like they do. He carries them like a football, throws them into their bassinet, and slams them around the room.

He is totally infatuated with Bill and Pap-pap. He wants to help them build things, and keeps his own shovel in Bill's toolbox.

Lydia

*She is always ready to greet you with a smile.

*She loves mommy's milk.

*She slobbers a lot.

I'm sure there will be many continuations of this post. I'd love to hear other funny stories about your own kids as well!

What we do eat.

    We may not eat bugs around here,
but we do eat...

Toes...

   Cheerios...

and Gigantic Cinnamon Rolls.

Only a matter of time,

before we find out,

What these little taste buds will soon be about.

We'll just have to wait and see!!