Christmas Chaos, Christmas Joy!
I don't know about the rest of you adults but something about Christmas just isn't quite the same for me anymore. I still love the season and love celebrating the birth of Jesus but the rest of it all that used to be so magical and amazing is not there for me so much anymore. What is there, instead, is heaps and heaps of busyness and responsibility. Except I don't feel like complaining about it because the payoff as a mom is so great that it's enough to outdo the majority of the stress. Take for instance our last week and the week upcoming in our family:
Saturday, December 10th:
Max's friend birthday party, Max's family birthday party (in which he blew out 7 candles, one week early, one at a time, apparently trying for seven granted wishes)
Sunday, December 11th:
Sunday School, in which it was my turn to plan and on which day it happened to be "plan the headpiece for the Christmas program", purchase a Christmas tree, continue with Christmas shopping, decorate the Christmas tree
Monday, December 12th:
We ate Panko-crusted fried chicken and asparagus for dinner but thankfully, didn't need to leave the house for anything extra that night. We all had aromatic urine.
Tuesday, December 13th:
Adam had skating lessons at 5:45 p.m.
Wednesday, December 14th:
Ryann, Adam, and I visited with my Grandma and Grandpa Frantz in the afternoon for a while. Then, I dropped Ryann off at school and Adam and I continued our visit for a while until we needed to go home for when Max and Ryann got off the bus from school. That evening Max had pictures for basketball at 6:30 and Ryann had dance at 6:55. Adam accompanied me to the first 2 seconds of dance but luckily my knight in shining armor (that would be my husband) and his trusty sidekick (that would be my eldest) arrived to rescue the day and take Adam home after pictures were over.
I'm glad that Adam got to go home and use his energy there but I'm also glad he left because I got some kickin' pictures of Ry working hard at dance.
Thursday, December 15th:
Ryann had piano lessons at 5:00, Adam had his preschool Christmas program at 6:30. I did not bring my camera to the Christmas program; we brought the video camera instead. Adam was absolutely, nothing short of miraculously adorable. My eyes welled with tears. I can't believe my baby is 3 and a half and belts out preschool Christmas tunes so that I can hear him at the back of the church. And when we left the church and he saw a banana peel in the parking lot, he belted out, "Look! A banana wrap!"
Friday, December 16th:
Stu and I accompanied Ryann, her friend A and A's parents, her other friend A and A's mom, on a field trip to downtown Minneapolis. We did this same field trip with Max last year and I spent the first half of the morning high and nauseous after having to take both Dramamine and Xanax after simultaneously experiencing terrible motion sickness and a panic attack on the crowded school bus. This year, I wised up and drove by myself and met Stu and Ryann downtown. It was a MUCH better experience.
Tomorrow morning, Max is to be at church at 9:30 to rehearse the Christmas program which will be performed on Sunday morning at 10:00. At 11:30, Max is to be to his basketball game. After Sunday's program, the kids, Stu, my dad, and I are all trekking to my half-sister's house in Jordan, MN to spend a little family time with her, her husband, and my gorgeous one-year-old niece Evelyn.
Saturday, December 10th:
Max's friend birthday party, Max's family birthday party (in which he blew out 7 candles, one week early, one at a time, apparently trying for seven granted wishes)
Sunday School, in which it was my turn to plan and on which day it happened to be "plan the headpiece for the Christmas program", purchase a Christmas tree, continue with Christmas shopping, decorate the Christmas tree
 |
| Look! It's me! I helped decorate the tree! |
We ate Panko-crusted fried chicken and asparagus for dinner but thankfully, didn't need to leave the house for anything extra that night. We all had aromatic urine.
Tuesday, December 13th:
Adam had skating lessons at 5:45 p.m.
Wednesday, December 14th:
Ryann, Adam, and I visited with my Grandma and Grandpa Frantz in the afternoon for a while. Then, I dropped Ryann off at school and Adam and I continued our visit for a while until we needed to go home for when Max and Ryann got off the bus from school. That evening Max had pictures for basketball at 6:30 and Ryann had dance at 6:55. Adam accompanied me to the first 2 seconds of dance but luckily my knight in shining armor (that would be my husband) and his trusty sidekick (that would be my eldest) arrived to rescue the day and take Adam home after pictures were over.
I'm glad that Adam got to go home and use his energy there but I'm also glad he left because I got some kickin' pictures of Ry working hard at dance.
 |
| This one I like to call "You just go with your bad self, girl!" |
Ryann had piano lessons at 5:00, Adam had his preschool Christmas program at 6:30. I did not bring my camera to the Christmas program; we brought the video camera instead. Adam was absolutely, nothing short of miraculously adorable. My eyes welled with tears. I can't believe my baby is 3 and a half and belts out preschool Christmas tunes so that I can hear him at the back of the church. And when we left the church and he saw a banana peel in the parking lot, he belted out, "Look! A banana wrap!"
Friday, December 16th:
Stu and I accompanied Ryann, her friend A and A's parents, her other friend A and A's mom, on a field trip to downtown Minneapolis. We did this same field trip with Max last year and I spent the first half of the morning high and nauseous after having to take both Dramamine and Xanax after simultaneously experiencing terrible motion sickness and a panic attack on the crowded school bus. This year, I wised up and drove by myself and met Stu and Ryann downtown. It was a MUCH better experience.
 |
| A, A, and Ryann |
 |
| A, A, and Ryann doing a crayon rubbing of one of these neat, old sewer covers we have on the sidewalks near Macy's in downtown Minneapolis |
 |
| The Parkview Kindergarten class has had the privilege three years in a row now of being invited to the 24th floor of one of the buildings in Minneapolis, which houses the well-known advertising firm Fallon. A Parkview dad works there. The kids get to look out the windows at the skyline, eat snacks, drink juice boxes, and watch funny TV ads while lounging in really cool chairs. I really want to work for Fallon....except I have no advertising skills.....I just want that place to be my work environment. It's amazing. |
 |
| We did lots of exploration of the skyways in Minneapolis |
 |
| After the children are thoroughly exhausted by traipsing through miles and miles of skyways and eating lunch in the IDS building's Crystal Court, they're forced to stand on risers in the Hennepin County Government building and sing. This picture CRACKS me up! No one has the right look on their face! |
Next weekend, Stu and I will host Christmas Eve for his family at our house and then Christmas morning brunch for my family. We will also host my sister and her husband and their dog, Skye, who will be driving (Skye will not be driving, she will be riding) from Quincy, IL to stay with us for the Christmas weekend.
It's all different from being a kid when all you had to worry about was not falling down with exhaustion while singing on the risers, anticipating the last day of school before Christmas break, and trying not to burst with excitement about Santa coming and getting to play with all your cousins on Christmas day but I wouldn't trade it for a thing!
Comments
Yes, everything you say is true about how Christmas changes once you become the adult/parent....that is why it is so important to let "kids be kids" cuz it goes by so quickly and then the reality of life sets in! My grandbabies are awfully blessed to have such a wonderful mommy and daddy making sure being a "kid" is a wonderful experience!!