I love Christmas.... I love the smells, the laughter, the hopes, the story, memories from past Christmases, and the thrill of hunting for each person to have that special gift...
This year was no disappointment! Each child enjoyed ripping through paper and throwing tissue balls at each other. I was pleased as they each said their "thank yous" after each gift... seeing the crazy hugs at the end of the openings just cracked me up as they always do. I was surprised as usual that the gifts that I think will be the favorites are not always correct...
This year I was correct with my girl - she has always wanted real UGG boots... but mommy refused to pay crazy amounts of money for shoes that she could only wear for 4-6 months due to weather and growth. But her feet have stopped growing! She has had the same size for about a year now - so she had asked for some cute buttoned boots at old navy, yet her mother had shopped eBay and found some UGGs for less... the squealing commenced. I loved every second.
I was also correct about my oldest. He has wanted over-the-ear headphones all year. He wanted Beats by Dr Dre... not happening. They are over $200. I searched eBay and had no luck... but he had a "back-up" plan. He had borrowed some from a friend and had fallen in love with some skullcandy ones with a bass booster... Santa found them on sale at Amazon.com... Alex has worn them around his neck constantly ever since. We do ask him to remove them for meals and church... "but I am not even listening to anything..." We have had to let him know that they are not jewelry....
Yet, with my little professor... I was wrong. I had searched and searched... I found five or six amazing books about animals or predators or amazing bugs or a pixar encyclopedia or science facts. I had purchased the Gothum City jail to go with the bat cave and several new figurines to play with. I got a couple of Lego sets (new recent discovery for him and strong love)... he like them all, and seemed thrilled... then, he opened his final present.... you know, the one... the one that I had wished he had not held till his last because it was a simple $5 gift that was not the one I wanted to "end" his unwrapping experience...
...a week before Christmas, I was shopping with Pickle (friend with great
nickname - another time, another blog entry)... we were in GAP kids. I saw
a bucket of digital watches. The only blue one they had was dead. So, in true
"Atkins form" I went to the manager and asked for a deal. I bought the dead watch
for $5, proceeded across the mall to buy a new battery for it - thought that he
would like it....
Caleb screamed, "Finally, I am a big kid and have a watch!" He has let us know the time just about every 2-4 minutes since opening it. He chooses his shirts based on what will work well with his watch. He does not take it off. He pulls his shirt down over the watch while washing his hands so it get wet, but NOT the watch.... He loves it.
I love Christmas - this year was very different for me, but I have found pleasure in the same ways as years past and discovered some new fun as well...
In past years, I loved the baking and all of the traditional foods of Christmas. This year, I enjoyed the cooking and baking, but did not eat the stuff... I concentrated more on sitting back at the table and listening to the chatter and enjoying the laughter of my kids. On Christmas Eve, I made sure that I was in charge of the non-sweet items... I brought the veggie tray, chicken tray, cheese ball, chili dip and crackers... then made sure to stay on my side of the table. I found that it was not hard. I listened more. I laughed more. I posed for more pictures willingly. I never once pulled a child in front of me for a photo... not because I am at a place where I don't need them in front of me, but because after 41 years I.AM.HAPPY.WITH.MYSELF. It is a very freeing experience.
We have not attended a Christmas Eve service since our former church left it's original location of Holt School Rd... but this year, we attended a new church service. It was my original intention to attend a service. Then as the service drew closer, my daughter was asked to help... then my oldest was asked... Then I learned that the professor would be able to help as a shepherd as well... and wouldn't you know it, as Scott walked in the door, he was asked to help out as Joseph! So, my parents and I sat on the second row and witnessed a hilariously fun Christmas pageant with my entire family in it. It was wonderful. The Advent candles were explained (had never heard about each one) and the children were wonderful. We now have a new tradition....
So, in closing... Christmas will continue to be my absolute favorite time of year. It is a time where I can concentrate on the people I love. I can visit with them, listen to their laughter, spend a lot of quality time with them, decorate and then travel around to see all of the beautiful lights of our city, and love... just love. I understand for several friends of mine that this is a hard time of year... I pray that maybe I helped it to be a little less unhappy...
because it is the mostest bestest season of the year.....
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