Christmas with kids

Decorating the tree with Leif

This summer Leif asked when it would be Christmas again. I told him it was a long time away, after Halloween. Halloween night when we returned from trick-or-treating, and we were getting ready for bed, he asked if the next day was Christmas. I held out for about a week before I broke out the Christmas lights...yes, early November. I figured a few strands of lights couldn't hurt inside our house. But then I discovered that I had purchased a strand of icicle lights for our porch on clearance last year, and I had to at least see how they looked. The whole time I was putting lights out, I explained to Leif that what I was doing was ridiculously socially unacceptable, and daddy would probably disapprove. Charles actually didn't disapprove. (it is hard to care what society thinks when your children are delighted with simple things like lights)

Spritz cookies

And so it began. Christmas season. The tree and the rest of the decorations waited until a more appropriate time to appear (the day after Thanksgiving).
This year, I have tried to pull some of the things I remember from my childhood into our Christmas celebration- I purchased a cookie press for Leif and I to make Spritz cookies together (something I remember doing every year with my mom), an advent calendar with the little pieces of chocolate inside.

Christmas lights in our mini van

And, we have some traditions that we're starting that are all our own...like hanging Christmas lights in our mini-van and in each of the boy's rooms.
It's amazing what Leif remembers- it snowed in Georgia last year on Christmas, and so he's still not convinced that today is Christmas since we didn't get snow.

Thinking back to last year, it is obvious how much our kids have grown up. Last Christmas, Owen sat like a happy blob while we delivered toys to him. This year, he's our little explorer, delighted with Christmas lights and throwing Christmas balls. He enjoyed climbing in all of the boxes that his toys came in and screaming with glee. We forgot that we didn't need to buy him gifts this year, we should have just gotten some large boxes for him to play with and balled up some wrapping paper for him to throw.

Playing with their new pirate ship

Last year, it took Leif days to open his presents since he would get so excited with the one he opened, he would forget that there were more. This year, well...he keeps asking for more presents to open. I wonder if we could re-wrap some. Leif and I have been busy making Christmas crafts to give away. It's beautiful to watch him deliver the gifts to each person and say, "I made this for you."  Tonight in prayer, Leif said, "Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for Jesus" and then realizing what he said he laughed and said, "I just thanked Jesus for Jesus." Well, amen Leif, that's what it's all about.

Leif's nativity arrangement