Friday, November 26, 2010

We Need a Little Christmas...

In true day after Thanksgiving style, our house has been decorated for Christmas. The CDs, movies, and books have come out of storage, as well as the stockings and snowmen for the mantel, assorted candles and Santas, and the photos of the kids as babies on Santa's lap. The tree is mostly decorated - but Harper wanted to help with her ornaments, so that box is waiting patiently for morning. We only have a couple of outdoor decorations and we'll hopefully set those up this weekend.

I love for things to feel festive during the holidays but most of our decorating is confined to the living room/dining room area. I don't go as far as to decorate the bathrooms or bedrooms much. Most of the decorations, aside from the tree ornaments, went up while Michael was napping this afternoon. It was so much fun to bring him out to the living room after his nap and show him the decorations - his eyes were as big as saucers. Now I'm wondering what he will think of the tree in the morning and whether we'll be able to get him to keep his hands off of it.

Michael and I read a few Christmas books before bed this evening, sitting on the couch next to the tree. I found myself wondering if I'd still bring all the books up in ten years, when both the kids will be far to old to be read to. Will they still want all their old holiday books and movies? Will they have to be tucked away until grandchildren come around?

Harper told me this morning that she's going to start looking for our elf, Snowy, when she wakes up tomrrow. Snowy (our Elf on the Shelf) usually appears sometime after Thanksgiving. He'll probably show up around Wednesday, but I'll let the kids discover that for themselves. I've been thinking recently that her believing days are numbered. I'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts, rather than be sad about how soon it will be over. There is such a small, small window of time when children are old enough to anticipate all the magic that can surround Christmas and young enough to believe all of it. Maybe that is why I tend to go a little overboard with books and music and gifts at Christmas time - this sense that I want to make it absolutely amazing while it lasts.

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2 comments:

CARRIE said...

N was bugging me to get out the decorations, but hubby has a cold and is completely useless right now...so I wasn't gonna drag everything out. Next weekend, though.

It is sad how quickly they grow up and the magic of Christmas disappears. I think this is why I love age 3 (despite all it's tantrums and psychoses). Kids who are 3 are so completely wrapped up in the believing; there is no question that it is all real to them. By 5 they start to wonder, question, even if they still believe. But 3-year-olds live it.

Pam said...

I love this post - you have inspired me. I hadn't done anything yet and still have soggy pumpkins sat outside :-)