this season

The upcoming holiday season means a lot to most people.  Here is a list of priorities for our family
1) First and foremost, this season is celebrating the birth of Jesus and how we want to keep him as a focal point in our lives.
2) Not having selfish kids-- I think this is going to prove quite a challenge.  A. is already making Christmas lists. This in itself is not an issue because I also make lists and one of my favorite things is to make lists of what I want to get for other people.  The problem is that after she wrote/drew 4 things on a piece of paper (doll, locket, ice skates, doll house) she asked for my computer to look for more things because she "didn't have much stuff."  What?  I tried to go the route of making a list of what she might want to get for other people.  She said, "they all have enough stuff".  I just got annoyed and said, "honey, so do you."  So, I'm not sure what to do about this.  I know that 4 year olds are naturally selfish but couldn't my kid be kind, and compassionate instead?  This is going to be quite a challenge...
3) decorating- When we moved from my favorite place to live, Richmond, up to this place we now call home, we had a brief stint in an apartment with lawn chairs as furniture.  Said apartment did not have a working oven and my husband refused to complain and get money off of our almost $2,000 rent.  This happened to be Christmas of 2006.  That meant that we did not decorate at all.  The whole season felt soooo different.  Since that time, we have had "Christmas house."  We have 3 Christmas trees, stockings by the fire, 3 nativity scenes, garland, and wreaths galore (I was going to post a picture but apparently this blog has exceeded it's picture limit... I'll mess with that later).  This year, we are in a time of transition again.  We are closing on our new house on Dec 27.  That means the room that usually holds the stockings and trees is holding boxes.  The garland and wreaths that usually make me so happy make me cringe because it is yet another box to pack on Dec 26.  Me, the lead Christmas elf, wants to tone EVERYTHING down and my family, mainly my husband, is fighting this idea.

I guess having a calm quiet Christmas with grateful children who love Jesus may be a romantic idea in my mind when we are packing up, moving, working, and carrying on all of our traditions. On second thought, look at everything I have to be thankful for:  so many people who love my kids and want to buy them gifts, a new house, a job that I sometimes love, and a whole house to pack.  Happy Thanksgiving!!!