Christmas 2011: a recap - Suburban Shalom

I love most everything about Christmas… the carols, the cards, the candy, the concerts. I don’t usually even mind the traffic and the hustle bustle that accompanies all of the festivity. But, this year, for perhaps the first time in my life, I feel a sense of relief that it’s behind us. I think maybe I’m just realizing that the combination of a new baby, a new house, and a new job does not make for the most tender of Tennessee Christmases.

We have so much to be thankful for, {not the least of which is the baby, the house, the job}, but I couldn’t get past the clutter and the chaos to revel in any of it. Ashamedly, I was nothing more than a consumer of the material and an observer of the spiritual. I had a bad attitude and a less than joyful spirit for most of the season. And, that’s no way to celebrate Christmas… and certainly no way to observe Advent.

So, that was depressing.

Here’s the good news, though. My children will probably never know that I wasn’t as “into” it this year as others. And to them, Christmas 2011 was the best yet.

For the last two years I’ve put the girls in matching pajamas of some sort to make for cute Christmas morning pictures. But, since I wasn’t all that into it this year, I dropped the ball on the coordinating sleepwear. Conveniently, the Preschooler still fit in her pair from last year:

The same could not be said for the Toddler. So, I found a hand-me-down pair dating back to Christmas 2009. This is what happens when you squeeze a size 3T child into a size 2T pair of pajamas {a 3T who likes to put her shoes on all by herself}.

She didn’t seem to mind that they fit like a wetsuit. In fact, she was rather proud of her festive ensemble.

The Preschooler’s main gift request this year was simple: a make-up set. At first I was worried that getting her one might make her all too eager to wear the real thing, but then I found her applying the press-on nails and I knew her innocence was still in tact:

They do make a dramatic statement, don’t you think? Being fashionable is rarely comfortable…

The Toddler didn’t really have any specific requests, but we know her well enough to know what she might appreciate. And, any game that involves a lot of noise and a lot of balls is sure to be a hit.

Let’s just hope that the hungry hippos are the only ones swallowing the little balls.

The Baby seemed to enjoy her first Christmas in her own special way, too. If you can’t drink the eggnog or open any presents, you might as well sleep through it:

Oh, to sleep that peacefully amidst such commotion. I don’t know how she does it…

As 2011 draws to a close I want to thank you for reading my ramblings this year. I’m here, there, and all over the place, and I appreciate you sticking with me. You inspire and encourage and commiserate in ways that make every midnight writing session completely worth it.

Wishing you and yours a very happy new year ~

Share this:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply