Days 1 and 2
Since things are going to be a bit hairy this month, I'm planning to do one special thing each day with the children so they won't think I'm totally consumed with work and school and no Christmas Spirit.
Yesterday we all took a trip up to the attic to retrieve our Christmas wares. The delight of children revived me for a moment.
Due to Hurricane Rita, most rooflines are damaged and have blue roofs covering them. What use to look like Christmas fairyland, still has silent streets and dark yards. This Christmas will not look the same.
Our church's lovely prayer garden is usually fully-lit and decorated. Various parishioners dress up every weekend to re-enact the Nativity and cookies and hot cocoa is served to visitors who come to tour the prayer garden.
This year the prayer garden is closed. It is still cluttered with broken trees and debris. It needs a good clean-up and of course there is liability to worry about if visitors were allowed inside. There's no doubt about it. There is no way we can revive this lovely place within 23 days.
So, back to the attic...
The children jumped and clapped their hands and oohed and ahhed over the goods. For them it was magical and all new.
I looked down my hallway (just recently decluttered from bottled water and MRE packets) now recluttered with Christmas decorations and thought, "Didn't I just put this all away yesterday?" The decorations looked old and forlorn.
But I remembered a vow I made to myself many, many years ago when my oldest was only 3 months old and celebrating his first Christmas. In a store, I overheard a mother tell her child, "I hate Christmas. I can't find anything to please your grandmother. It's so expensive..." Yada...yada...yada.
She did not serve her child nor the spirit of Christmas well at all.
So we cleaned up the decorations yesterday and I shared in my children's joy and excitement. Today the children are decorating the living room while I work (don't tell them I'm here instead ; ) ). They want me to be surprised! Believe me, I'm sure I will be. LOL
But, for now, I'm being very obedient and staying out of the way. And I'm sure they're all doing a very good job.
Yesterday we all took a trip up to the attic to retrieve our Christmas wares. The delight of children revived me for a moment.
Due to Hurricane Rita, most rooflines are damaged and have blue roofs covering them. What use to look like Christmas fairyland, still has silent streets and dark yards. This Christmas will not look the same.
Our church's lovely prayer garden is usually fully-lit and decorated. Various parishioners dress up every weekend to re-enact the Nativity and cookies and hot cocoa is served to visitors who come to tour the prayer garden.
This year the prayer garden is closed. It is still cluttered with broken trees and debris. It needs a good clean-up and of course there is liability to worry about if visitors were allowed inside. There's no doubt about it. There is no way we can revive this lovely place within 23 days.
So, back to the attic...
The children jumped and clapped their hands and oohed and ahhed over the goods. For them it was magical and all new.
I looked down my hallway (just recently decluttered from bottled water and MRE packets) now recluttered with Christmas decorations and thought, "Didn't I just put this all away yesterday?" The decorations looked old and forlorn.
But I remembered a vow I made to myself many, many years ago when my oldest was only 3 months old and celebrating his first Christmas. In a store, I overheard a mother tell her child, "I hate Christmas. I can't find anything to please your grandmother. It's so expensive..." Yada...yada...yada.
She did not serve her child nor the spirit of Christmas well at all.
So we cleaned up the decorations yesterday and I shared in my children's joy and excitement. Today the children are decorating the living room while I work (don't tell them I'm here instead ; ) ). They want me to be surprised! Believe me, I'm sure I will be. LOL
But, for now, I'm being very obedient and staying out of the way. And I'm sure they're all doing a very good job.
posted by Cay Gibson @ 12/02/2005 09:48:00 AM
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