Christmas Crazy

Is your house Christmas crazy? How do you know for sure?

Well, when you're putting your 6 year old to bed and they say,

"Do you know I've had on the same underwear and socks for 3 days because you haven't given us a bath?"

Yup, my friends, that is Christmas crazy.

This always seems to happen at some point.  I'm not sure why it is, but December events seem to happen in avalanche fashion... flurry, flurry, flake, then whoosh!! Then silence for awhile until the next one.  Why does all the fun stuff have to happen in the same week?!  And is anyone else taken aback by the insane number of dishes they are preparing, covering with foil and plastic wrap, as they run out the door? Or most recently trying to keep the lid on a crock pot of hot soup with rubber bands from my asparagus bunches? Do I get points for innovation? It is definitely the eating season!

But also the time to share the nativity story and carols with our kids...

We try really hard not to over-commit during Christmas, but there are certain events that we all really look forward to that add a lot of meaning to this time of year.

We plan out our calendar in November for advent.  It has become one of the kids' most anticipated times.  We decide what we want to do and try to divide every activity into it's own day. Sometimes plans change and things don't get done, but I have found it really helps to only try and do one thing at a time (most days!) instead of cramming it all in at once. It does happen some weeks that we are crazy busy, but in a fun way.  I have learned to let the non- essential stuff go, so we can take time to have fun together and to celebrate Christmas our way. That means sometimes skipping baths, eating on the go, not folding the laundry, or letting the house be a mess for few days.

At some point we have to stop and take a family Christmas picture.
 
Does anyone else dread this? Why is it that every year you want to strangle one of your kids by the end? They definitely realize the pressure in this one and capitalize on the moment.
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In the end though, it is always worth it. And in a pinch, the assortment from the cookie exchange the night before makes a really fun breakfast buffet when you're in a hurry.  The kids couldn't believe we were eating cookies for breakfast! Tis' the season for fun and surprises :)

I am happy to say, we have even had time for some adult night outs to visit friends at Christmas parties. So blessed to have friends to swap babysitting with! It has been a hectic week and the carnage around here is evident.  The front porch is half decorated with garland and lights.  We tried to do it last weekend, but most of the lights were out- of course.  Unfortunately, I must confess, the box, garland, and pieces of light strands that were hacked with scissors are all over our front porch... still!

But the fun we have had with our family and friends and the chance to do some outreach makes it all worth it.  I don't ever want to become too busy with the mundane and self-focused tasks of life that we miss out on the God-moments presented to us.  This is true everyday, but especially at Christmas.  We had one of these moments last week.  It had been a busy day of appointments and fun.  It's a long story, but we ended up with three plates of hot food in our car.  As the kids and I talked about it, we decided we were supposed to give it to the homeless we see in our daily paths.  So we did.  The kids were thrilled to be giving them hot food on a cold day and I think it is really sinking in to their minds and hearts what it means to be 'homeless'. This is something we will continue to do, especially this winter. 

One of the sweetest moments we had this past Sunday.  Julia's worship dance class performed at a local nursing home. It is the first time we have seen her perform.  They were so precious and did an amazing job worshiping through music- dancing to "Joseph's Lullaby"- and sharing God's love with some excited residents there.

 These moments of heart growth are worth every rushed afternoon, every meal made in a hurry, every late night of washing tights...

 God's precious little girls pretending to rock His Son...

 ...and give Him the glory!

So for now, the craziness continues, but the joy remains at the center. And we're having fun getting things done.  The kids rigged up an elaborate system of delivering Christmas cards to the mailbox and loved it, despite the frigid temps!

Tuesday night, we enjoyed a fun dinner with friends and then headed out to MaxieBs for their annual Christmas Open House.  The entire bakery- kitchens and all- was open to the public. The kids started by making their own cupcake creations...

Then we watched the pros do it as they assembled four special order cakes- wow!

Then it was time to taste! The place was overflowing with cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and hot drinks.  Everything was free and the supplies seemed bottomless.  It was a dessert lover's paradise.

With our bellies full we headed to Sunset Hills to drive through the light displays.  The whole neighborhood hangs lit balls from the tops of their trees. It is like walking into a storybook- just magical. 

Then we stopped to visit the nativity display at a local college.  The wind chill was 4 degrees and it was painfully cold, but we have sweet memories of all the kids racing across the lawn to catch a glimpse of baby Jesus and pause for a moment to take it all in. 

Because that is the essence of Christmas.  The simple gift of saving grace.  The story that touches our hearts and changes our lives forever.

And yes, sadly we realized Carter was right, the kids had not had a bath in 3 days, but sleep trumps bathing every time.  The crazy part was I had to throw them in Tuesday morning because we didn't have another open time slot for baths until Thursday night :)