Christmas day will soon be here, and I can hardly wait! I know, I am a little crazy…well maybe more than a little. You see Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. Yes, I get stressed, and yes money is tight (extremely), but in between all of the insanity are those few golden moments. You know what I am talking about, the ones where you look around, and out of nowhere you are looking at a perfect Holiday scene. Now this may only last for a nick of a sec, but it’s there!
I start listening to Christmas music the week of Thanksgiving. Some may say this is too early, but I want to get the most out of this season that seems to whip on through. Initially my kids are excited to listen, but as time goes on it seems that just my youngest likes to here the same songs over and over again. I, myself, am happy to finally not be listening to the POP station! On occasion, we are all singing together and laughing. Check – perfect Christmas moment.
I do NOT like to go shopping by myself, little weird, I know…but it is the truth. I would rather take all the kids with me and have a little more chaos in my life, than to face it alone. During Christmas time, it is hard to go present shopping when you have a child with you, but I still do it. I may by a present for a sibling, and ask them to keep it a secret. I may purchase something for them, and tell them it is for someone else. Last year, I had my son stand in line on Black Friday to get an iPod Touch. He stood in line for 7 hours. I told him he was buying it for his dad. Well, come Christmas day, you should have seen the look on his face, when he opened up the iPod. He looked at me, slightly confused, and asked “Isn’t this for Dad?” I laughed and nodded my head no. His smile grew, and he began to laugh as he realized he stood in line for his own present. Yup, another one of those beautiful moments.
We have to leave the house early in the morning, and there is a little bit of yelling going on. We all have to look good, and we are always missing something, important….you know the sock that was there the night before, but now can’t be found! It is a long drive to the family Christmas Party, so we need electronics to keep us entertained, books to read, and pillows in case we need a nap. When we finally get settled in, every one is nice, quiet, and entertained. But as the minutes turn to hours, restlessness takes over, and the arguing begins. My husband and I finally get things calmed down again, and from the back we hear a small voice say, “I feel like crying.” I turn around to look to see what’s wrong, and she has a smile on her face, with tears in her eyes. She looks at me and says, “I am so happy, it is one of those happy cries.” I look at her, with tears welling up in my eyes, and say “I love happy moments, too! I love going to visit family.” We smile at each other, and as I turn to face forward, I realize I experienced another extraordinary moment.
In this season of chaos, business, stressfulness, and otherwise mass confusion, try to stay strong. The picture perfect situation, may not always be as far away as you may think. From our family at Summit Place Kia, to yours, we hope you have many magical moments. Merry Christmas!
