I adore this time of year. It is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite time, and I look forward to it all year long. I love it all...the lights, the music, the decorations, the shopping for gifts, the baking, the cards. The sights, sounds, and smells of the season always warm my heart and make me smile a little bigger. Last year was my first Christmas as a mom, and it amazed me that this time of year became ten times more special and fun than it ever had been before.
Shopping for my husband and extended family is fun, but shopping for children's toys is magical. Anticipating my daughter's reactions as I shop for gifts makes me so excited. This year she knows what presents are, and loves to unwrap them. I can't wait to see her face when she walks into the living room on Christmas morning and sees the pile under the tree. But more than that, I'm excited to experience the entire season with her. I hope to instill a love of this time of year in her, and so far she adores it as much as I do.
She asks for Christmas music in the car, and can immediately identify whether or not a song is a Christmas one. Whenever we see decorations in stores, or lights on houses, she yells out "Christmas lights! More Christmas lights!" She asks for her Christmas bib when she sits at the table for meals, and when Joseph wore his snowman jammies she yelled "Baby Jo-Jo Christmas!"
We decorated our Christmas tree this past week, and it was such a fun family experience. The tree had been up with lights on it for a few days, and so one night after dinner I brought out all the ornaments and told Stephanie it was time to decorate. She took to the project immediately, and would continuously grab an ornament, run to the tree and hang it up. (Her version of hanging was to just put the ornament on a branch. It usually fell to floor as she ran to get another one, so I would hang it for her.) She had a grin on her face, and an infectious giggle throughout the entire process. It made Dan and I happy to see her enjoying this family tradition as much as we do.
Since Stephanie isn't even two yet, she innocently enjoys the magic of the season without fully understanding or anticipating what Christmas Day will bring for her. I'm taking advantage of this by really trying to instill in her the true meaning of Christmas. We read books about the first Christmas, and every night at prayer time we talk about how Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, and the whole season is about celebrating Him. We also talk about how there are some children who aren't as blessed as she is. She doesn't really understand that, but I think it's important to talk about. I keep it age appropriate by telling her that some children don't have a warm coat or lots of toys. We went through her toys and chose a few to donate to those in need. Again, she doesn't understand this, but I want it to be something she grows up hearing so that she never loses sight of the fact that we have so much and should never forget to be grateful for it.
It is only December 3rd, and there is so much more we get to do to celebrate the season. I'm looking forward to doing Christmas crafts with her, as well as baking cookies and other treats. I'm doing my best not to stress over my to-do list. I want to experience the magic of Christmas right along with her, and if that means that not everything gets done, so be it. Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child is a blessing, and I am thankful every day that I have two little miracles to celebrate with this year.
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