Christmas feels like so long ago all of a sudden. Once the New Year hits there seems to be this rule that Christmas is in the past, no more Christmas music, no more decorations, no more holiday drinks at Starbucks. The stores break out the spring clothing and everything goes back to normal (no more twinkle lights). I have to be honest, it is all a bit sad if you ask me. This year I was SO excited about Christmas, but also dreading it coming all at once. As I mentioned the other day, the end of Christmas means that I have to prepare to go back to work. I am so.not.ready. But before I get all mopey about the new year meaning I am not going to be a working mom, I want to share with you the joy we had this Christmas.
It really was a wonderful Christmas, but maybe a little different than I envisioned it being. I will admit though, it was quite different with a baby of my own. Millie is just starting to get more into a routine and become more aware of her surroundings. So all the holiday fun with family was a little hard on her because she didn’t really want to nap (it was all to exciting with family around an twinkle lights to look at) and when she doesn’t nap on time (as with all babies) things fall apart. She actually did pretty well, but she may have had a couple of melt downs. Who can blame her though. I think we all wish we could have a melt down around the holidays and have it just be acceptable as normal.
If you were to spend the holiday’s with my family, this is what it would be like…
Christmas Eve
Wake up early every morning just like normal (no sleeping in for us-babies don’t know it is Christmas vacation). Sit in front of the Christmas tree with a cup of coffee (or hot chocolate) and ‘talk’ to Millie until she is tired and ready for her nap. Then she swings on her swing while I read a book and soak in the magic of Christmas and the hush in the house for a few hours.
After Millie’s first couple of naps and after we load up the car with an unbelievable amount of stuff (we weren’t even going over night anywhere) we head to my Parent’s house where we hang out, eat snacks and drink some more hot cocoa. At 5:00 we head out to the Christmas Even Pageant at my Sister’s church (my church didn’t have a Christmas eve service, because it is too small and too many people are out of town), D and I take turns holding Millie while she fusses a bit and makes cute baby noises, my brother-in-law Ray chases Levi down the halls and the rest of the family sits and enjoys the Christmas Pageant put on by kiddos from the church.
6:30 we are back home and preparing dinner. This year we are eating Thanksgiving food for dinner because my parents missed out on having one on Thanksgiving. While we eat we listen to Levi yell (happy yells usually) Lilli talk to us and Millie coo (and eventually fuss until we pick her up) in her car seat by the table. There is little quite at the table, but that is okay because the noises are reminder of the blessings we have been given. When we finish eating we all change into our matching PJ pants.
After dinner we open one gift each, a tradition since we were little kids. My gift was the ‘Would Your Rather’ card game. We eat cookies (way too many), read The Night Before Christmas and then put the kids to bed upstairs. After the kids go to bed we play my new game and laugh a lot at everyone’s answers. Then we watch half of It’s A Wonderful Life until we are too tired to watch any more. D and I get Millie up and drive home.
Christmas Day
Again we get up early, play with Millie and gather up a few more things to bring over to my Parent’s house. We don’t shower or even change out of our PJs just hop in the car and drive to my parent’s house (they live 5 minutes away). When we arrive we eat cinnamon Rolls and fruit and my dad reads Luke 2 to us.
Opening gifts is a bit crazy these days. We just pass them out and all open at once, the kids want to play with every gift right away and paper is all over the floor. It was so crazy I had to ask everyone what the got for Christmas later because I missed it. After gifts we just hang out around the house, play with our gifts, clean up the paper and listen to Christmas Music. For lunch we have taco soup and chili and after lunch we all take a nap (except Lilli my mom and my sister who sit down stairs and watch Cinderella one of the gifts for the grandkids from Mimi and Poppy). Then we relax and hang out until the evening when we head back home.
What a lovely Christmas.
i’m with ya…first christmas with baby is definately different! and isn’t it crazy the amount of STUFF you need to go anywhere with a baby?
I think in my head it was this glamorous thing, cute baby, perfect christmas. Not that it wasn’t good it was just different, and she obviously didn’t get it yet. Next year will be so different though.