Three months past the time that Costco foregos the normal restraint held by Christmas lovers everywhere and puts up the trees and tinsel and lights.
Go ahead. Admit it, your thoughts have already "gone there". At least if you're a Costco Member.
And admittedly, I'm soo good with it. I love All Things Christmas And in my house, my girlies have followed suit. Deeming there to be five seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and... Christmas!
So I've been thinking. Trying to, yet again, come to terms with the holiday I so love. The very one that always seems to broadside me, coming out of no where and being gone before I know what hit.
Every year I promise myself that I won't let it happen again.
"This year", I say, "will be different. This year I'll be intentional about making it special for my girls. intentional about beginning and establishing traditions for MY family. purposeful in the small details that make Christmas memorable."
But life always takes me by surprise. That's just the nature of it. For suddenly it goes from pumpkin picking to the "10 shopping days left" announcements over the PA system at Target. In no. time. flat.
Well, this year...I AM going to be intentional. Starting NOW. with a list of questions that I need to come to terms with before getting into the actual detailed planning stuff:
- Do I want our Christmas season to be a time focused on extended family? our own family? friends?
But I am not one of those people. (at least not while pregnant)
I've come to know this about me, and I'm okay with it. ;) As the women of the house (ie. from my experience, the ones that usually make the holiday season into something special), it's important to not only set the tone, but know our emotional boundaries so that the tone set is something pleasant.
I can easily feel spread too thin. which fast leads to frustration and impatience. which FAST leads to Mean Mommy.
Jet and I decided long ago that our holiday goals will revolve around the Three L's... Low stress. Laid back. and Lots of Leisure time.
Because when all is said and done, a perfectly planned holiday is nothing to be cherished if the overall tone is "Stay away from Mommy...she's crazy." ;)
- Where will we be spending the holidays?
Quite simply, we just don't travel anymore. We stay put, in our own home, to help curb the stress level of running here and there.
And while we'd love to go up North to visit Jet's family now, we both know that the driving, the packing, the boarding of a rather large animal, the contending with five small children trying to sleep in unfamiliar, cramped surroundings is, in the end, not worth it.
Especially since Jet only gets to take a few days off from work.
We do go to my parents' house for Christmas Eve...it's not far from here. Mom's family comes over (her sister, Mom, and brother's family...along with my brother's and sister's families). But this year, we've come to terms with the fact that we're not sure what will happen. With Little Bitty scheduled to make her Grand Appearance near Christmas Day, that's a tradition that we may have to forego this year. We'll just wait and see how healthy everyone is...
This is something that may or may not be understood by my extended family (being that we live only 20 minutes away)? But I suppose that's one of the tricky parts of the holidays...balancing what others expect of you with what is truly best for your family.
Not always easy, but a very needed part of Holiday Planning. At least the type where sanity and joy are still in tact.
- What were the most memorable Christmases I had as a child and why were they important to me?
It's so easy for me to get swept away in the "buy buy buy" mentality. wrongfully thinking that my girls want more STUFF. When in reality, our children deeply crave more QUALITY TIME with us.
Think about it. Do the majority of your most memorable Christmas moments revolve around what was under the gift wrap? or more in the way you felt during the weeks that preceeded? the moments that you shared with those adults that are usually too busy? the laughter of family members as they took a moment to sllllooow down and enjoy each other?
Yes, presents are great. But my girls live for moments where we actually treat them like important people, cherished daughters, and fun friends.
My goal is to hone in on those family-interaction ideas and implement them whenever possible.
*how is it possible that they grew this much in only a year????- What are some of the ways we can bless others during this season?
We want our children to grow up associating Christmas with giving and blessing others. And I know the brunt of that responsibility falls on me. Not because Jet isn't giving, but because I know I'm the one who plans.
Note to self: Get off yo' booty and start thinking!
- What are things the girls have enjoyed in the past? Are they traditions that could remain for the next 20 years without being considered "for babies"?
Unfortunately I don't *feel* like we've established many traditions. Maybe it's just my frame of thinking, discrediting activities from the "Traditions" title because I've just gotten so used to their presence that it's hard to dissect them from Christmas itself.
What we've done before:
- Stockings over the fireplace to be filled Christmas Eve with small gifts.
- Tree hunting with my extended family (even though we bought a massive fake tree a few years back...the girls love getting together with cousins and running around a tree farm trying to find the perfect one for Grandma and Granddaddy)
- Baking Christmas cookies together...though not as many (or as creative) as I'd like to. One day...
- Get together with friends to make Rudolph cookies
- Putting up the tree the day of (or after) Thanksgiving
- Putting up a miniature tree in the girls' room
- Christmas day brunch as a family
- Doing our Advent calendar every night at dinner.
- taking cookies to neighbors (only done this once, but the girls and neighbors loved it)
- building a gingerbread house (of sorts) ;)
I've come up with some other ideas that I'm excited about and will write about them as we try them out. :)
- What are some activities that the children can play a big role in helping to bring about?
As much as I know the girls love having special things done for them, I know that half of the joy of holidays (if not more than half!) is in the preparation.
The cookie baking (and eating). The present shopping/making. The putting up of the tree. Tree and house decorating! Making special decorations.
For me, this is both fun and frustrating. Because honestly? It's just so much easier, not to mention faster, for ME to do it all. without interruptions. or questions. or time spent explaining to someone else how to do what I could do in a third of the time.
THIS is where I need to remember the little quote that's stuck above my stove:
"Where Love abides~ Sweet Memories Linger." Roy Lessin
One Holiday Trait I need to embrace is SLllllloooooww down and live in the moment. Enjoying the very thing I am doing NOW, instead of worrying over what I haven't gotten done.
To remember that *this moment* could be the very activity that is forever locked in their memory as "The Christmas I was x-number of years old."
"Live in the moment. Live in the moment." That sentiment might very well be permanently penned on my skin...if I were to ever get a tattoo.
- What are we doing to incorporate the True Reason for Christmas into the season?
My extended family, though they all believe in Jesus, didn't/don't really do much to highlight the birth of Christ in our festivities...outside of the Candlelight service on Christmas Eve.
But I want to do more, you know? I always marvel at families whose Christmas family traditions actually revolve around Christ. And I want to be one of those families.
Now to try and come up with some meaningful, sweet traditions that shout Jesus is our focus this season.
- How much focus do we want to put on presents for the girls?
- give their children three gifts, like the Wiseman.
- give a few gifts that have themes: Something you need. Something you want. Something educational.
I want to implement something like that, soon. before the tradition of Christmas=>Lots of presents becomes cemented in their expectations.
- Is what I'm planning going to stress me out?
While I want to OWN the title of
For now, I want to embrace this fun season of lots of littles, helping them to create amazing Christmas memories this year. While they are newborn, 1 year old, 2 year old, 5 years old, and (newly) 7 year old.
Again, I think it's so key to be in tune with what will bring JOY to your family in this particular year. and not just go into with the thinking "We've done this before. We'll do it again. And you WILL enjoy it, so help me!"
Because some things just don't work for everybody. Like this dancing Santa Claus "won" from a White Elephant Gift Exchange.
Raegan's holiday would have been just fine without him a couple of years back. Though this year, it may very well be one of her favorite decorations. That is, unless, I happen to conveniently lose it. and the older girls happen to forget about it. Here's hoping!
And Here's to joyful planning! *Cheers*
