For no particular reason other than the fact that I like to share, here are some of our family's favorite holiday youtube clips. Some are funny, some may well draw a tear to your eye. At any rate, I hope you enjoy them.
1. The Christmas story as told by precious children from New Zealand in funky costumes.
2. From Slugs & Blugs (which makes the best music for kids) a song about a shepherd dad and his son on Christmas.
3. A look at modern shepherds in Bethlehem and what they understand of the story of Christmas.
4. Mariah Carey, the Roots, classroom instruments, and children. And Christmas. Yes, please.
5. Last but not least: Rend Collective's "You Are My Joy" Christmas video.
One more? Okay, here it is. Kid Snippets takes kid's voices telling stories, and their adults lip sync to it. This particular one is the kids telling an old family story of a Christmas from when their parents were young. I love the rambling way kids tell stories. And the lip sync skills are prodigious.
So what makes the cut for Christmas screen time, for your family? We love the classics: the Grinch (animated, duh), Charlie Brown and his friends crooning at the sky, and this year we will introduce the kids to "YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!" You? Any recommendations?
Oh, has Elf on the Shelf arrived! It has crossed the line from "cute idea exploding all over Pinterest" to "controversial idea debated on blogs posts shared on facebook." Or is it just my friends linking to Huffington Post articles about how the Elf is ruining Christmas?
I wrote last year about my conflicting thoughts about the Elf. (<-- Click to read). And I ended up deciding not to do it, a very sound decision for me and my family. (And a tricky one, I'm finding. More and more of my kids' friends have elves living at their homes this month, and it is a minefield for my kids. I coach them frequently about how not to ruin Santa for others; now I have to add the elf to the lecture.)
In the interest of disclosing holiday traditions, we may not have creepy charming plastic dolls wrecking havoc and taking marshmallow bubble baths, but we do plenty of other memorable activities. We always get new jammies on Christmas Eve, and play "hot-and-cold find the hidden baby Jesus from the nativity set" at Grandma and Grandpa's. We always make decorated sugar cookies. We have special ornaments with traditions and stories. We do Advent readings and Advent calendars with daily cheap pieces of chocolate therein. We always have Christmas tree waffles the morning of the 25th. We always stand in a circle and sing "Joy to the Word" with family at Nana and Papa's house. But my favorite tradition that we are developing as a young family is that of our "shepherd's pouches."
Like all good traditions, this one came from the Bible. No, just kidding, it came from Pinterest. The idea is, each kid has a rough burlap pouch with their name on it (seriously rough- I sewed them, and I'm no seamstress). They are meant to hang in the place of their stockings, but as we have no mantel, and no stockings yet, we just place them haphazardly around the house. Did I mention this is a tradition-in-progress? Throughout the season of Advent, the kids earn money by doing extra chores- ones above and beyond what is expected of them. The money they earn goes in their pouches. Christmas Eve we count up what they made, and use it to order from the World Vision Gift Catalog. That means they are giving a practical, special gift to a person in need around the world- a mosquito net, a chicken, a Bible, or a soccer ball, for example. Then when they wake up in the morning, their shepherd's pouches are gone, replaced by stockings. Just as they experience the joy of giving, they get the joy or receiving.
Here's the thing: my kids get into this. My oldest boy remembered doing this last year, and begged me to let him start early- about 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. He has begged me almost every day for jobs to earn money- money that he knows will not be for him. We watched the videos online at World Vision's site, where short clips explain the hows and whys and whos of each gift- medicine, fishing gear, educational supplies, seeds. When we got to the video about clean water, and the effects on children who walk miles to get muddy water from a polluted source, my seven year old buried his head in my shoulder and started shaking with sobs. Which made me cry too- in part because my heart and head are so numb, so cynical, that I forgot how shattering that truth is, until my boy's tears reminded me. I had to get his attention and show him the end of the video, with the joyful children frolicking in the clean water of a new well, to remind him of the hope of change- and the fact that he could be part of it.
So all my kids are wiping windows and dusting and taking out the recycling. And asking, "how much will you pay me for that job?" like some money grubbing Wall Street wannabes. And they take the quarters and dimes and dollars (thanks, Grandma and Nana!) and stuff them into their burlap bags. Christmas Eve will be amazing, because each one has a chosen goal: a Bible, a mosquito net, and a share of a well, respectively- that they are working hard to meet. The Bible says that whatever we do for the people who are "the least," we do for Jesus. So like the shepherds, we will come to his birthday party, ready with His gifts.
Because I am the opposite of super-mom, I cannot do both this, and the Elf. And I know that the long-term lessons about joy, and the power they have to actually change a little of the bitter sadness that is truly in the world- will serve my kids well.
But I still reserve the right to have a random toy dinosaur start some nightly shenanigans, sometime in January.
Find out more about World Vision's gifts by watching this video:
Also, Compassion International does a similar gift catalog. World Vision just got to us first, and we stuck with them. Both feature domestic and international gifts in many categories, but of course there are countless other charities you know of that would fit the bill just as well.
PS- I know none of you reasonable people will jump to any crazy conclusions, but in case some person I don't know actually reads this all the wrong way: I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH OTHER PEOPLE DOING ELF ON THE SHELF. MORE POWER TO YOU. YOU ARE A BETTER PARENT THAN I. IF I COULD DO IT ALL, AND DO IT ALL WELL, I WOULD TOO. There. (wink).
I just spent a few minutes sorting through a pile of clutter. (Cue the parade!) And in the pile I found some papers created by my oldest a couple years ago, wherein he wrote of his love for me in giant tipsy letters, on construction paper, surrounded by crayon flowers. Of course looking at those papers made my heart swell up and burst into a thousand tiny pieces. I didn't cry or anything (this time) but it was marvelous to see love, young and wholehearted and innocent, made visible on paper. My boy still loves me, and we have a great relationship. Today he asked me roughly two dozen times if there was anything he could do for me, that would help me and the family. Seriously. But he no longer writes, "LOV YOU MOMY" over and over on decorated papers. That stage is gone. I love the stage we're in now, but I'm glad I have a few examples now filed away to remember the way it was.
In the interest of that, I wanted to blog today to capture for posterity what my youngest has been doing. He's two, and when he wants to say something to me, he launches into a building crescendo of, "Mom! Mom! MOM! MOM!" But he pronounces it more like "MAWM!" Without a hint of annoyance, almost like a bleating sheep. And even after I answer him, "Yes, honey?" he still throws a few more "Mawms" my way, winding down the refrain. Sometimes his song varies to, "Hey mom. Hey mom. Hey mom." About a dozen times. And if he is in range, he gently grabs my cheeks between his hands and steers my face to look at his. And if I'm talking, he puts his open hand softly on my lips, to get my attention. It's too cute to be annoying, and I respect his tenacity as a third child. He could resort to more violent ways to get me to pay attention, so I appreciate his peaceful ways.
I noticed today that the fall is advancing. The first trees have transitioned from changing colors to actually dropping their leaves. And that was just too much for me. I liked the beautiful leaves, but the barren branches were going too far. Silly, I know, to rage against the turning of the seasons. Summer was so good, so sweet, it's hard to let go. I know that in the coming months more than just the trees will change- our family is planning our next phase, our next big growing adventure. I don't have the luxury of thinking that we can hit "repeat" and do the same summer all over again, next year. We won't be where, or who, we were.
And I don't want to grieve over the growing of my boys and my girl. The sweetness of their affection is not going to vanish because they become more sophisticated and self-conscious. I've worked with older kids, so I know. These little pieces of who they are will still be there- they will just be under the radar, coming out in funny ways that make them just as sweet. Instead of reams of love notes, I may get the smallest smile and a nod in a room full of his peers. On a good day. Whatever, I'll take it- because it will be the same love from the same kid. I still have this time, for now, to enjoy the clues adding up, revealing who each of my kids are- the good, bad, and ugly- we are still together for them
to call me, "MAWM!"
*In rereading this post, realize I don't want you to think that we have been in some state of constant harmony over here. We have our fair share of conflict and tantrums, and "You're the worst Mommy ever!", etc. And I know that as they get older, those jabs will get more sophisticated, too. But hey, it's worth holding the sweet moments in your hand and pondering them a while, isn't it?
I am laughing at myself again. I try to have a sense of humor about myself, because then I am always close to a free source of entertainment. Here's my latest laugh: I am so over my daily tasks. Laundry, I'm lookin' at you. Cleaning: always over that one. Even cooking can cease to be a joy and become a chore if I'm in the wrong mindset.
However, one of my automatic places to "relax" is Pinterest. Where I gaze dreamily at beautiful laundry rooms, unlikely recipes with outlandish ingredients, and "31 tricks for cleaning your house fast." I just think that's funny- to relax from my "job," I look at pictures of what other people have done at the same job. It's like a bookkeeper looking at other people's charts and spreadsheets and saying, "Ooooh- nice font on that one! And is that recycled paper?"
Surely if well-lit digital photos related to my tasks makes them more appealing, focusing on the people for which I do them should do that even more. Or perhaps remembering the grace I'm given to HAVE food to cook, clothes to clean, etc. should stop my grumbling in its tracks. For a funnier pondering of the gift of our lot in life, read this: Glennon's give me liberty or give me debt
Anyhoo. Tomorrow is Labor Day. Don't get me started on the shock to my system the ending of summer has been to me, this year. Instead, enjoy pictures of my older two on their first day. Because although the first day hits me hard, I still like to record it for posterity. A la Pinterest, of course.
Today G, who is seven, learned something. He has been practicing riding his bike this summer, and technically he could do it, but he hated it. He was afraid of crashing (again) and so he avoided getting on the bike at all. And truth be told, our street is not the best place to practice. It leads to a lot of sharp turning around, or short rides with frequent stops (crashes) or a serious downhill.
But Craig was persistent, promising G that if he just kept at it, he would grow to enjoy it. And G was persistent, promising that he could live a fulfilling life NEVER RIDING HIS BIKE. EVER. Today, G learned that his dad was right. We went to the school playground, which has a huge paved area, perfect for biking laps around a loop. It took one, maybe two laps before G decided that he loved it. Soon into our outing, some friends unexpectedly showed up, and all the boys biked together for the rest of the evening. By the time we left, G told us his legs were wobbly from biking so much. He explained later in the kitchen as we got bedtime snack ready that it literally felt like he was still biking because his legs were rocking. Like sea legs.
One of my favorite moments of this, my favorite summer, came tonight when G looked at me and said, "Mom, it was like a magic moment. It was like I was dreaming. I felt like I was on a TV show or something." He readily and freely admits that his dad was right, and that the next time Dad says something is worth trying, G plans on trying it over and over. Craig built up a lot of trust with this one. Which is very, very cool. Craig loves a few hobbies: disc golf, biking, camping, hiking. He is so eager to share those things with our kids, and of course G being our oldest, Craig is inviting him into those things first. I can already see my husband's mind working, dreaming of the bike trips the two of them can take as G gets older. My heart is happy, seeing the separate but related smiles on my men-folk's faces. They are both proud and hopeful.
This was taken two days later. Off to ride around town.
In a short time we are going on vacation with Craig's extended family. Our reality just shifted from the other boy cousins zipping around the campground on bikes together, with our boy sitting it out, stubborn and lonely-- to him being in the mix, making those memories with them. I'm sure tonight was just the first of the "magic moments" he'll make biking. And learning to trust his dad, and himself, that he can grow up to do difficult things. Okay, I'm going to stop now. But I'm enjoying this moment too. M'kay?
Sometimes in his pictures, it's like I can see a glimpse of the man he is growing to be.
*Cue the swelling orchestra music! Emotional mom moment!
I'm still here! June is over. June is over?! What the what?! I cannot keep up with the speed of the summer, and I cannot keep up with the roller coaster of the good and bad things daily life flings at me. At any rate: whiplash. I've been decluttering (always), helping edit a thesis paper, taking the three littles to the pool, killing earwigs (eewwwww), attending a great wedding (can you say overnight getaway? without kids!), and generally dog paddling through the daily details. Doing dishes at midnight, repeatedly. But, to quote that classic of American cinema, Nacho Libre, "my life is gooooood." Here's some proof.
I feel like this is a week where the phrase, "burning the candle at both ends" doesn't do justice to the level of crazy here. How about, "throwing the candle into a blazing fire, and now there is no candle?" But it's all good, still. I've had some of the best, sweetest days of my life this week. And I think the deadlines and intense schedule and level of destruction wrought upon the house by my delightful toddler are all a super creative plan the Lord has for getting me emotionally through the last day of school. Because like last year, I find within myself a deep pool of inexplicable grief at the thought of my son reaching the end of this grade. How can this be?! This month he turns seven. SEVEN, people. I don't normally look at him and think that he is a freaky giant with a mature, chiseled face. But when I look at his first and last day of school pics side by side, it will hit me. Stifling the ugly cry. Barely.
But like I said, things are also beautiful here. Other than my youngest putting hand sanitizer, melted popsicle, a hundred small beads, and his own pee (twice) on the floor in the span of a few hours, things are rosy. And when they aren't, I have found strange power to cheer me up, in watching the Jimmy Fallon/ Justin Timberlake History of Rap videos on youtube. Seriously. I never listen to rap, but I guess I did in the 90's, and that's all it takes to really appreciate what they're doing in those segments. Awesome. sauce. And yes, I dance around like a fool and wave my hands like I'm coordinated and cool and starring in a video being shot in Miami. My kids are too little to judge yet.
Other things that have given me joy, in addition to 90's rap and my sweet children? Making crostini (basically fancy buttered toast) with smashed avocado, lime juice, sea salt, and bacon on it. Yuuuummmmm. That's a lot of perfection. In related news, my store was almost out of bacon when I went. Of all the brands! I swear it wasn't me. Or at least, it wasn't all me. Also, it makes me laugh, realizing I was probably in my mid-twenties before I ever tried avocado. Poor young me!
Lastly, I'm 38 years old and still learning what makes me tick. And it turns out that editing photos is one of my happy places. Hours fly by while I'm working on trying to get the best out each photo. And it's easy when you're working with this adorableness:
What about you? Are you dealing with the emotions of a season coming to a close? What do you watch/ listen to when you need a boost? And what are you eating or doing that is a good fit for who you are now?
