Christmas time has always been one of my very favorite times of year. From the music, to the cookies, the lights, and the decorations, not to mention the big man himself, SANTA. I love it all. When I had my son right before Christmas about five years ago, everything that I loved got taken to a whole new level. I always knew that having a child at Christmas would be special, but I had no idea HOW special that it would really be.
Each year has been a whole new experience and it makes me wish every year that the season lasted just a little bit longer.
Let’s be honest: the holidays can definitely come with their fair share of stress as well. There are so many activities and gift buying can make money a little tight. One of the most wonderful things about children is their innocence. For better or worse, they can be totally oblivious to the hustle and bustle around them and they can totally live in the moment. It can be so easy to get wrapped up in the long “to-do” list, but our children can keep us in check. They are only little for such a brief period of time and the magic of the holidays is something that I want them to carry with them for a lifetime!
We have several traditions in our house to enhance the magic of Christmas.
Of course always deck out a tree. I love a beautiful tree straight off of Pinterest as much as the next person, but our tree is full of hand-me-down ornaments, hand made ornaments, and treasures from trips throughout the year. My son can’t wait every year to open the box and relive the memories of each and every piece we hang on the tree. To watch his face light up with pride as he holds a glittery ornament with his hand print slapped on the side of it, is what gets me through the days of pushing through crowds at Target to get the last roll of wrapping paper only to realize once I got home, that I forgot the tape!
The sense of wonder that a child experiences during the holidays doesn’t have to come at a high price. One of the things that I love most about this time of year is how it causes us all to be intentional about spending time together. Whether that be through making cookies together with your favorite family recipe or driving around looking at Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate! To a child, these are the things that can mean the most. I absolutely love taking my kids to see Santa Claus. Watching them climb up in his lap with just a little bit of hesitation and a lot of excitement. Seeing the look on their faces as they whisper sheepishly what they want most of all on Christmas morning. It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy! But I also love that it presents such an awesome opportunity for us to give back as a family to those that are less fortunate. I love that it creates a time for us to talk to our kids about what the meaning of Christmas is really about and that it really is the season of giving more than receiving.
