bah humbug? come on!

I've noticed a theme lately of friends and family talking a lot about the overwhelming to do lists that are inevitably involved in planning and orchestrating the perfect Christmas.  Complaining about how they want it over with and it's too much.  I get it.  I do.  It's a LOT of work, the thinking of presents, picking of the perfect tree, spending a small fortune on gifts that really most of our recipients don't need, finding the perfect wrapping paper and ribbons, preparing a menu or in our case three menus, buying all the aforementioned gifts and food for the celebrations and of course the beverages and cookies that need to carefully be prepared!  JEEZ I didn't even include in there the holiday cards that need to be ordered, addressed and mailed, then oh then we get the elf on a shelf and advent calendar fiasco's and hey you got your self a good ole, "calgon take me away"....for those born after 1985 you may miss that reference!  Anyway, it's a lot.  I agree, we as a society put a lot of expectations on ourselves to create and deliver the "perfect" Christmas!  The sad reality is in all of that hustle and bustle the real message and meaning is lost and not just the religious background that gave us Christmas in the first place, the meaning of what every holiday is supposed to give us.  A chance to breath, look around us and see all that we are blessed with.  Our family, healthy, together.  The big stuff.

I feel like so much of this little stuff gets in the way of the really big stuff and so many of us are missing the all important and ever true gift that is Christmas.  A day that everything, I mean EVERYTHING     ( I say that in reference to Starbucks specifically) is shut down.  I mean people, how many days does that happen anymore?  It's not open later or really early, its shutdown ALL.DAY.LONG.  This year in MN we are missing out on a blizzard filled 25th and honestly I am bummed.  There is something about feeling like we are trapped in our comfy, cozy houses together with no where to be, no where to go and no choice to do anything but be together.  That to me is the magic of Christmas.  There really isn't another time of year that a day stands so still just for family and friends and for the joy of each other.  I realize that standing still for our house means, waking up at the crack of dawn to pitter pattering feet whispering if they should wake us up or not to rush down stairs for the pinnacle of all parenting experiences when all of the snot wiping, puke cleaning comes to a head and you say, "YES these little leach like creatures are worth it all!" (OK don't shout that, just think it silently in your own head!)  Then we will clean up the war of our home left with impossible to open toys packages while battery searches are sure to ensue resulting in our remote most likely being pillaged for the little life it has left.  And then, clean ourselves up for round two, where we are hosting my mom's family and after that going to Jeremy's parents, yes all in one day!  Oh don't get me started on Christmas Eve, heck or even the 23rd, it begins early here and stays long and it is whirlwind of laughing, crying and stretching ourselves to soak up every inch of holiday spirit left....and trust me by the 26th we are all hungover and not from drinking, ok fine, a little from drinking too!

I say all this not to disparage the magic or jump on the freight train of acknowledging the over the topness of it all, but to say, I get it!  I live the insanity too, and still you won't find me moaning under my breath, or wishing the moments away, or cursing Santa, I love this.  Maybe it's the over achieving, type A personality, maybe, but Christmas has always been amazing to me.  I want my kids to relish in the memories we create and cherish it as much as I do when they get older.  The other day when I was wrapping 10,000 gifts with the special "santa" paper (I heard you can say the elves just use your paper so you don't have to hide and buy special stuff, love it!), I found myself exhausted and annoyed, for a moment, thinking and blaming the only person that I really take most things out on in this state of mind, my husband...why isn't he wrapping all of this crap...ooops, I mean lovely gifts....but then I just picture our kids on Christmas morning their eyes like silver dollars as they see the big stash that santa has left them and that's it.  Worth it.  Every ounce of energy, it always is so worth it.  It begins the same every year come December 1st, I can't wait to fill a bag full of fun things for the Advent house and burn the edges of the North Pole Paper and take the "ink pen" and write as only Santa can some amazing treasured note about the spirit of giving and then watch their eyes light up in amazement.  It's so awesome!  But come December 5th, Jeremy and I are out of ideas from the dollar bin crap to put in there, there is no place for Elfie to "hide" anymore, we'd like to stuff him back in the storage bin, and we are out of inspiring messages from Santa, but come on, we got 20 more days left, time to buck up!  So we do what most good couples do in these situations.  Rock paper scissors, on who has to come up with the message and hiding spot that night.  LOL.  I was on a winning streak for awhile and now well his paper is covering my dang rock a little too much!  But still when you get a winner like this one...

You just have to pat yourself on the back, the kids couldn't stop giggling when I said "Elfie stinks!" and started yelling at him for poopin in our kitchen!  Later I realized the clever spot would have been the doll toilet on top of the actual toilet, ahh well there's always next year.  And yes, I realize when my hubby and I are impressed with our coolest "elf" spot, we are officially old and highly uncool.


So, on these last few days where you may be rushing to buy the one forgotten gift or scrambling to think of the impossible person on your list....STOP and realize in a few days when you are finally in the moment, you can breath and know it's worth it.  So put a dang smile on your face and go tell someone Merry Christmas! :)