Hey there!
I have a bit of Christmas cheer for you, mama or mama-to-be! If you think that this is a video of all the traditions we do and how creative I am, it is not. In fact, there are very few traditions we do at Christmas- we are building, brick by brick. The past 5 Christmases I have felt like a failure! It has been hard. I’m finding my footing, my foundation, and I want to offer encouragement on how you can, too. Being a mama of little ones makes it especially challenging. When I say little ones, I am talking about newborn – 3 or 4 years old. Christmas becomes entirely different when a child reaches about 5 years old!!!
So, know there is a new day coming if Christmas seems particularly difficult for you this year. It won’t always be this way. I hope this offers some encouragement to you. Begin by laying a strong foundation, and then build – brick by brick while keeping our joy.
The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Proverbs 14:1
Some simple things our family does:
– Play catch up on advent. ha! We have had sick children from December 1-6. We sat down to do our first advent the night of the 6th. We are doing the Jesus Story Book Bible Advent with ornaments. And, I quickly told about each ornament. I kept their attention, for the most part, and each child (we have 5 kids) was able to hang up an ornament (can I say peaceful?!) I would love to do our advent each night, but this is working for us right now. I’m thinking about doing advent every 5 days (even though the perfectionist in me cringes at the thought).
– Christmas books in a basket – easily accessible right under the tree!
– Manger scenes – we have 3 nativity sets in our living room. I knew of one mom who had the wise men travel down their stairs, and baby Jesus did not appear until Christmas day. I soo want to do this one day… but, I think it is also important for the kids just to play with all the pieces and tell the story and ask questions. Maybe even have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle come visit baby Jesus – every one is welcome! ha!
– Cookies – this one is tricky because it can quickly become complicated, but I have found a cookie is a cookie is a cookie to a child. Break and bakes work just as well as homemade dough! But, if I’m feeling particularly energetic, I may bake them from scratch.. and then, go lay on the couch for as long as can!! hah! (Also, why is it always sooo hard to clean up the kitchen after making cookies?!) Break and bake are a beautiful thing!
– Riding around looking at Christmas lights! Everyone is strapped in – which can be amazing…or horrible if all are crying – we had them all crying one year. This year they said things like, Oh my word! This is amazing!! I didn’t see this coming!! Mommy and Daddy thank you so much!!! We were cracking up.
– I am pretty sure I made chicken nuggets for Christmas Eve dinner last year. Oh wait, I had the flu last year. The year before I made chicken nuggets, and I might make them again this year because… world peace and silent night.
These are a few of our bricks. Chris and I want the focus of Christmas to be on Jesus and why He came – to give a very dark world, hope and eternal life. We want to be a family who gives and serves, and we cannot wait to begin doing that with our littles. We are almost there! And you, dear mama, will be there before you know it. Embrace the little moments amidst the crazy. And most of all, keep YOUR cup full and connected to the reason for this season – Jesus Christ, the best gift of all.