Well, we have decorated for Christmas, and it does look pretty. This past Friday evening we had a fun family night eating pizza, which this baby has really been wanting- especially pepperoni pizza, and decorating the house.
I don't know why I do this to myself, but I get this image in my head what it will look like and sound like as we do these fun family memory type things. The images are totally distorted by Holiday advertisements and Hallmark cards. Moms in khaki pants and twin sets and girls and boys perfectly groomed and clean decorating pans full of butter cookies. No crumbs, No messy fingers, no food coloring spilled on the counter (very hard to get off!). How did they even get the picture??? But anyway I carried this image in my mind as we decorated the house. What I had in reality is a hubby who was sneezing his head off because of the musty boxes of decorations, a two year old who loved the nativity set. Loved it so much he became very possesive of baby Jesus and screamed a very shrill scream if anyone came near it! A very helpful seven year old who kept handing Daddy random branches to the christmas tree and a three year old who thought the branches looked like brooms and proceded to sweep the kitchen with one! My eight year old and dear daughter had their own ideas about decorating, putting things in odd places.
At half past eight I tucked all the big kids in bed while Joel unscrambled lots of lights and tried to find the burnt out bulbs. They really wanted to continue to help, but that was all the help we could handle for one evening. ( Elijah was tucked into bed very soon after his temper fit over the baby Jesus!) We promised them they could do the fun part, putting all the ornaments on the next morning. I must say that they did a great job, and it really does look pretty.
So while we didn't have any hallmark card people wanting to film this family time,all in all we had a good time, and accomplished the goal of a decorated tree. Now I have to remind the kids that the mistletoe ball hanging in the archway is not for hitting, and the train should really stay on the track around the tree, and no it is not a good idea to spin the tree in the base! Someday my Martha Stewart delusions of holiday decorating might come true. but then I will have to worry about the grandkids eating the pointsettia and breaking my antique decorations!
Hope you are all enjoying preparing for Christmas. Joel and I watched The Nativity this weekend. Again, it really made me think on what a miracle God becoming man really is. That first christmas was a far cry from Martha Stewart and Hallmark but so beautifully perfect in everyway. Thank you God!
4 comments:
Ooo! How did you like that movie? Would I be able to watch it with a six year old? (That seems silly to ask about a movie called The Nativity, but you never know.) All family memory times come with temptations galore for me and I only have one! I'm sure they loved that time and that it built there anticipation for Christmas.
It's funny how we all think about how a holiday should play out. We knew better and put Kayiah to bed before taking the 1st branch out of course she is too young to understand. And while Kayiah does a good job now of not touching the tree the dogs who love to play in my living room are constantly running by it and smooshing all the bottom branches up or down so that I'v given up trying to make the bottom look nice. Kayiah took to the nativity as well and as gentle as she was, joseph's arm and lantern go broken off against a wiseman's gift. But I know one day too soon it will just be Lew and I again thinking about all the Christmases we spent with the little ones of our own all grown up which being pregnant is enough to make me blubber tears for a good hour or so. So It's fun to have these little memories now and I really think they are better then any halmark commercial because while they are sweet where are the funny real moment a 2 year old coveting baby Jesus (can we covet Jesus?) A 3 year old's imagination turning a tree branch into a broom or in my case the "ohhh wook mommy " voice that came the morning she 1st saw the tree. We will watch the Nativity too! And prbably the Christmas story too "you'll shoot your eye out!"
I love this post, Danielle! Ben and I are looking forward to decorating a bit when we come home for the holidays...fake trees are convenient like that! Hope you're feeling well...looking forward to seeing you soon! xoxo
Too cute...CB and Ashy said the tree looked very pretty...I had to stay in the car with my sad VerBear and Evelyn...love you guys...
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