I woke up kind of grumpy today, I had a bad night last night... seems like the little bun in the oven doesnt like dinner anymore... that really sucks cuz I like dinner!!!! anyways.. so I went to bed feeling crappy and woke up feeling like I needed to get the house decorated for Christmas... but where do i start???? Dan had brought down our boxes of christmas stuff from the attic the other day and so i started rearranging things this morning and realizing how dusty and gross things have gotten... and then the challenge of where do you put stuff so you wont find your 14 month old chewing on an ornament or an elctrical cord... I dont think I am going to be putting everything out this year... or for the next few years!
I have also been thinking alot about christmas lately... why do we decorate and go so crazy this season? running around franticaly buying things for people and buying tons of food and just getting stressed out? Is that was God wants us to do in His honor? hmmmm.... Now that we are parents I definately have a whole differnt outlook on Christmas... Dan and I find it really important that Dahlia and our new little bun will understand why we celebrate Christmas, I have realized this is not going to be an easy task. It is pretty easy to get distracted by all the other things, especially when santa and presents seem like more fun than Jesus.
How do we teach them what is important without them feeling like were taking all their fun away? I have to admit something and hopefully I wont be disowned by family and friends for saying this : I really really really cant stand santa claus! even as a child I never liked him i was terrified when my mom brought me to the mall to see him and I never believed in him because I knew all my presents came from my family. Dan is not a big fan of santa either...or of Christmas in general. He hates all the comercialism, and i definately see his point. I do like to have the house looking festive though and I enjoy the christmas parties and the family gatherings and I love the Christmas eve service at our church, it is always just what I need to feel christmasy. I think when it comes to santa we will teach our kids that he was a saint who lived a long time ago and gave gifts to the poor, and he did it to honor Jesus. I know this is true, and then coca cola came along and made him fat and jolly and he gives presents to all the spoiled children around the world. I also cant stand spoiled kids! why do we spend all this money on these kids buying them expensive fancy gifts and they are still bored two days after christmas???????? We want to teach our kids to give. I so hope to instill a spirit of generousity in our kids. I like to give. I do love giving gifts at christmas and i do put a lot of thought in what i give, hopeing it is something that will bring joy to to the reciever. Well I am feeling a bit better now that i ranted and raved for a bit. I just had to get all these pent up Christmas feelings out. and now I am going to finish decorating. and maybe even finish my christmas gift shopping today.... hopefully. And next week is cookie time!!! yay I also love to bake yummy things usually i start in novemer and freeze them but this year I havent had the energy to do that. hopefully next week I can muster up the engery to bake.
It always surprises me how tired I am these days... I guess it really does take alot of energy to grow a baby. maybe it would help if baby would let me keep my dinner!!!!!!!! grrrrr!
anyways.... Hope you all are feeling more festive than me!
2 comments:
Who says you HAVE to bake this year? It can hold off for a year or two!! When Dahlia and the new baby are a little older it will get fun, I promise. You can teach them about the true meaning of Christmas, not about Santa. Hannah and I have had a lot of fun this year, decorating together, doing a gingerbread house...etc. I feel more Christmasy this year, then I have in a LONG time. It shouldn't be a stressful time...take some time to relax and pull back a little. So there's no baking...? You have a one year old and you are growing a life, you can take a break this year!!!!!
Take care,
JENN
I have had so many of the same feelings as you Mandy about Christmas... especially with raising kids & trying to pass on the real reason we celebrate Christmas! It has been hard to get into Christmas this year when I just want Christmas to be about Jesus and nothing else.
I was reminded by my sister-in-law that it is the traditions that we have created that will cause my kids to remember the meaning behind Christmas. As much as I hate the materialism that surrounds some of these traditions... the traditions are what will draw our kids to Him & to the true meaning of Christmas!
Praying that all of us will remember the "true" meaning of Christmas as we go about preparing for Christmas.
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