Christmas in pictures

visual highlights of our Christmas:

Jesus needs a party!

With Will's birthday just a couple of weeks away, we have been deep into birthday party discussions and of course, I have been trying to explain the story of Jesus as we get closer and closer to Christmas. The intersection of the two topics provides some super-interesting car ride conversation:

Will has made the connection that your birthday party is for when you were born. We were discussing that Christmas is when Jesus was born and Will decided that Jesus should have a birthday party. I tried to explain that Christmas is the celebration of his birth. Oh no, Christmas is not good enough...

... Will informed me that Jesus should have a Mickey Mouse party. And, apparently, he needs cake too!

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In other news, Will would like a "Santa tree" (he will NOT call it a Christmas tree) in his backyard. He was quite confused at the fact that people put trees in their houses. "Trees go outside!"

oh sweet boy! how much fun we are going to have this Christmas!!!

making dinner and attending a birthday party - wow!

So William and I were discussing Christmas on the way to school this morning. I was trying to explain a little more about the whole "reason for the season", thinking that he might be able to understand a little more.

I was telling him that Christmas is Jesus's birthday. That was a little confusing - both concepts of "a long time ago" and "far, far away" are not fully grasped by an almost 3-yr. old. I went on to explain more that Jesus helps us and all the wonderful things we have are from him.

this is where it gets good...
After hearing the part where Jesus helps us, William promptly informed me that Jesus could help us make dinner.
And the part about all the nice things we have are from him - well, he told me that Jesus could come to his birthday party!

now I'm not saying I expect to see the Holy Spirit appear as I stand next to the stove tonight (or drive through for take out - let's be real!), but it is a nice reminder that Jesus is with us wherever we go and in whatever we are doing!

love that sweet boy! Happy Tuesday!

no, no, no, no, no!

It is supposed to 103 degrees today and tomorrow and Hobby Lobby already has Christmas decorations out!!!!!!!

I just can't deal and as much as I love Christmas and all that goes along with it, I am considering some sort of "buying Christmas stuff" boycott!

slacker..

Here are some Christmas pictures:

a diagnosis...

I am diagnosing a new disease that surely others suffer from as well. possibly similar to postpartum, but I am calling it post-advent. (and before anyone gets all cranky, I am not in the least bit actually comparing post-Christmas blues to postpartum - just making a connection)

yes, I am in my post-Christmas funk.... I feel "eeewwwww".

Here are the things that need to be done:
~ a shower for me
~ a vacuumed floor - seriously disgusting!
~ all the Christmas gifts put away
~ laundry
~ last but not least.... a nap by the little man would be GREAT! (it is 6pm and he has slept, oh, maybe an hour today. as I write, he is yelling "MAMA" and banging on the office door. is it bad that I don't go open it up? and yes, Mike is in the family room with him. it's not like i would leave him unattended. ha!)

there will definitely be some alone time in my future this evening. hmmmm..... Sunday night. not exactly the most happening night of the week. however, i have, more than once, roamed the aisles at Wal-Mart with my Starbucks just to get away for a bit. and you know you have done the same thing too!

and I get to be a stay-at-home mom for a week before I go back to work on the 5th - any tips/ideas to entertain the little man and myself? one can only watch sesame street for so long before the "too much TV" guilt starts to creep in...

on a bright note.... I DID get all the indoor christmas decorations put away yesterday.
now, all that remains is the bare tree inside and the outdoor lights. Mike said he might get to it next weekend. sigh. maybe the ladder and I will become good friends tomorrow...

um.... wow!

If only I had this much time and was on the ball in my holiday greetings! :)

puh-lease, click here! weird. funny weird, not creepy weird!

Merry Christmas!

Have a wonderful very merry Christmas!

the Show

well, the little man started "school" this past October, just in time to be a part of the Holiday Show! (by the way, here is his school in case anyone in our area is looking.... we love it!)

He was talking (babbling) all last week about his "show" and let me tell you - this was impressive. Multiple costume changes, choreagraphed dance numbers, so cute! knowing our son and the simple fact that he is barely two, we had nightmare-ish visions of what might occur at the show. crying, screaming, running off stage, the ever popular "nnnooooo" and "miiiiiinnnneee". we strategically sat towards the back so we would not distract the master performer.

(and let me just take a moment to address all the people in this world who are over 6 feet tall:

do NOT, I repeat, do NOT, sit in the middle of the front row at a preschoolers' performance, especially when the performers are 3 feet in front of you, especially when the room is super-tiny and there is nowhere to move and see around you, and ESPECIALLY when you hold up your stupid cellphone during the entire performance to take pictures. seriously - you are in the FRONT ROW - hold the camera/phone/whatever in front of you, not way up high so it blocks the camera angle of every other poor parent behind you with a neck sprain from trying to see around you and your phone!)

I digress, let us continue... I will describe little man's performance like this: "deer in the headlights" (by the way, is that a phrase used outside of Texas?).

There was no crying, no screaming, no running off stage.

There was not any singing or dancing either. (from William, that is. All the other children sang and danced quite nicely)

There WAS, however, lots of standing and lots of looking (on William's part).

In my opinion, a perfectly lovely and successful performance! Here are the highlights:

(Photos have been affected by the poor lighting conditions in the room and the aforementioned GIANT in the front row.) Enjoy!

(and yes, he quite possibly is the cutest thing EVER!)

for the first number, they had little elf hats and jingle bell braclets

song #2 included a Santa Hat

I don't even remember what song #3 was, but little man was very intrigued by all the kiddos around him. her really did go to school every day and was there for every practice. but Miss Maria said that when they were practicing, little man mostly just liked to run around - no wonder he looks as if he has no idea what they are doing!

Why, you might ask, why is everything blury in this picture except the little man? great photo skills? no. all the other kids were MOVING and singing - little man was watching :)

the big finale included the cutest emroidered scarves - and little man didn't try to rip it off his neck!

So, if you actually made it to the end of this way-too-long post, thanks for indulging me! (and Grandmom and GramGram, all those pics are for you!)

simple reminders

I had a simple reminder from God today about the many blessings he has already bestowed upon my life. I get a little whiny sometimes and I think about all the things that are not right in my world. When, really, in the grand scheme of things, there is nothing I need that I don't already have. My problems and issues are so trivial compared to other things in this world.

The newspaper was JAMMED this morning with all kinds of ads trying to make you think you need this and that to feel complete this Christmas. All over TV are ads wanting you buy-in to the latest fad. Even the internet has all kinds of articles proclaiming to have the best gift ideas for everyone you know. How ironic that the things we need the most are not really things at all?

I have everything I could ever possibly need. So many blessings from God and I don't recognize that often enough. time & people. not stuff & things.

may God help you find a spirit of thankfulness and contentment this holiday season!