Christmas is always wonderful time of year, but I am especially grateful for this season of life for me when my kids are young. We have MEC, who at almost 3 years old, recognizes Santa and can sing the songs and point out lights, but still doesn't quite understand why it is that he woke up yesterday morning to a bunch of new presents. He goes along with all of our family traditions and day-to-day adventures with a carefree smile (between tantrums).
CAC (5) understood a little more this year about the fun of giving. She, along with her older siblings, spent most of the month wrapping up new gifts for each other. Most of the gifts were homemade, crafty treasures. They were excited to spend some of their own money as well.
It is fun to see how tied my kids are to our traditions...even things I never realized were traditions. When are we going to light the candles? hang Christmas lights on the house? put up the mini tree? When are we going to frost gingerbread cookies and deliver them to our neighbors? They stayed on top of our advent calendar all month with no reminders from me. RVC hung up our Christmas cards on the wall by our front door. Everyone helped eat all the yummy treats that kept coming to our door. That's a tradition we all take part in.
We hear Christmas music on the piano a lot more now that three are taking lessons. I even was able to practice some fun holiday accompaniments for the kids' classes and the school chorus. I wish I could have pushed some of the busyness out of our Christmas season and enjoyed more simple moments as a family at the piano.
I want to remember a sweet experience I had with TLC a few weeks ago. As he and I were sitting in our front room near the window, TLC's attention was drawn to some activity across the street. Some teenagers were leaving some treats outside a neighbor's house. TLC just happened to catch a glimpse of that moment of excitement when the kids were ringing the doorbell and running away before the people could open their door. As he was telling me what he had just seen, he got emotional. He had often been on the excitement end of such an experience, but watching someone else have that experience touched him in a different way. TLC can be a big tease and a stinker, but he also has a tender heart and recognizes moments of goodness. I am grateful I was able to share that moment with him.
Another special memory stands out as one I'll always remember from this Christmas season. We were able to do a service project as a family that was a little different than anything we had done before. I'll always remember how excited the kids were and the warm feeling we had in our car as we drove home together that night.
Christmas Eve nativity at Grammie's.
Christmas morning!
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