So Far.....

I've had TONS of "help" with my Christmas wrapping.  Charlotte cannot get enough.  It turns out that an extra pair of 5-year-old hands actually triples the amount of time it takes to wrap a gift, but she's so darn cute and enthusiastic that I don't even mind.  (most of the time!)

We've delivered our Angel Tree gifts....the girls were very, very excited about this.

Caroline was fabulous in her role as 'Tatiana' in our church's Christmas musical.  This show is just about her favorite event of the whole year.  She loves the rehearsals, the costume, the singing, the microphone....the whole she-bang is just right up her alley.

Charlotte also had a chance to fall deeper in love with the joy of  stage performance.  Her Sunday School class sang a couple songs before the musical, and she loved it!  As far as she's concerned, there's no better place to sing than on a stage with an audience watching.

See what I mean?  She belts it out!  Have you seen the movie 'Elf'?  You know the line, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."?  Charlotte invented that rule.  Buddy the Elf just follows it.

Henry was less enthusiastic than his sisters with the idea of being on the stage to sing with his class.

He didn't mind the bells so much, but the rest of the time he was rather uncooperative.  Thank goodness that a sweater vest and blazer on a 2-year-old covers any amount of stage fright.

The kids have been LOVING their daily Advent gift from Go-Go.  Each day they have a little package to open with a Christmasy gift inside.  She's pretty amazing, that Go-Go!

We've been rocking the Christmas PJ's!

We've been toasting over hot chocolate every chance we get!

We've also been wishing for snow and shouting "Hallelujah!" in the car when we pass a house with Christmas lights (it's a little game of ours).  We've been watching Christmas movies and counting down the days and keeping secrets about our gifts.

In fact, Charlotte came home from school last week with a wrapped gift for us.  She had strict instructions not to let us open it until the "calendar gets to 25!".  She took it to the basement where she embellished it with a ribbon and hid it away.  For a girl who never, and I mean NEVER, stops talking, she is a remarkably excellent keeper of secrets.

We've also had reverent re-enactments of Jesus' birth.  We've talked at length about all the particulars of the Christmas story, and I'm delighted that the kids are so fascinated with it.  And, of course, that's the whole point.

It never misses my attention that these girls of ours really seem to understand the meaning of Christmas in spite of the example I sometimes set.  I talk such a great game about the reason for the season.  I'm so worried that they'll get sucked into the consumerism of Christmas that I take all the opportunities I can to pound the story into their little brains.

And then I turn around and get frustrated over gifts I can't find.  I panic when I feel like I'm getting behind with all the baking and shopping and wrapping.  I get crabby because our calendar is so full.  I feel sad after they're asleep that I addressed Christmas cards during their manger scene instead of giving them my undivided attention.

And the next day I try a little harder to keep perspective.  Because in my heart, I really do get it.  I get it on Cantata Sunday when our choir sings they lyric "Love came down on Christmas.  Love, all lovely, love divine."  I get it when I listen to Caroline read Luke 2.  I get it when I hear this song.  I get it, most especially, anytime I contemplate Mary. 

I do get it.  And I'm going to try to do better to keep it.