december 19th

In the Advent Calendar Today: 

"Read today's Advent Devotion.

At dinner tonight with ALL FOUR of your Grandparents, 

tell each of them about a lesson they have taught you."

december 18th

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion. 

As a family, talk about where you see God's Spirit in your world."

december 17th

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion.  

Tonight we will make eggnog and hot chocolate 

and play games by the fire."

It takes so much planning to pull off Christmas morning.  Sometimes I forget that the best moments are the  ones that just happen.  We had an "express Christmas" with my family last night.

We packed my (new!) car with presents.  Used a Groupon for a dozen cupcakes.  Did FaceTime with my brother's family in Texas. And topped off the night with dinner at a mexican restaurant.  

We shared a moment that all of us will remember forever. I was smiling for days remembering our time together.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

It doesn't have to cost anything.

It doesn't have to be on the calendar for months.

My son summed the evening up when he said, 

"I had my expectations really low for this night and I am having the best time!"

Tonight, we did make hot chocolate (with the packages of Starbuck's salted caramel and the magic of the Cocomotion).  We lit the fire.  We played our Christmas music.  

My daughter won Clue on her first turn.

My husband kicked our tail in Yatzee.

I was thrilled that my kids were finally old enough to play 16 rounds of Count Down.

 Our expectations took a vacation for a couple of days and we were free to enjoy each other.

december 16th

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion and put a surprise in the mailbox for our mailman."

I know...it is a common courtesy to give a gift to your postman/woman/person.  But in years past, that has always been just one more thing on my list that I never get to.   One of my friends told me that the person who delivered her paper left an address so she would know where to send Christmas tips.  This is the kind of obligation that makes me bristle.  My mailman has never done that.  

And it is in these 8/9 days till Christmas that I start to feel the pressure that I have been not so successful at warding off with my sacred Christmas plans.

Even though all the presents are bought and wrapped, suddenly my children change their minds about what they want from Santa. Even details like their favorite color change.  

Remember our Advent Mission to deliver dog treats?

Well, one of those neighbor's delivered a special gift to my daughter to thank her.  

My daughter said,

"This is the best gift I have ever received."

Yes, she is known to be dramatic.  And the sweet gift of candy and a teddy bear figurine, while wonderful, could not be the BEST gift, right?  

She further explained, "What I mean is that all the gifts I get someone is supposed to get me (because I am their daughter/granddaughter/cousin/niece), but when someone gives you a gift that you do not deserve and they don't even know you...that is the gift that means the world to you."

Today, notice the gifts that no one was "obligated" to give to you and receive them with joy.

december 15th

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion and 

Go to the Library!

Deliver a treat to our favorite librarian."

My love for the library, well, there are not enough words.  I love books.  I love free books.  I love used books. I love reading them.  I love listening to them.  I love sharing them. I love returning a big stack and checking out an even bigger stack.  And I love our librarian.

He knows us by name.  He changes due dates for our lost cds and missing books.  He knows when books are waiting for us.  He knows when we are waiting for particular books.  It all just feels so very Mayberry-ish.

Our stop by the grocery store to get Sir Librarian a gift was not so dear.  My daughter became quite attached to a gift tin that was too small for the treats we had already found.  I chose another container that she did not love and would not let her change the treat to fit in the tin.  Does this seem harsh?  I just wanted to get out of the store and move on with our day.  She quite firmly told me that this was supposed to be from HER and that it was NOT. As if this was all a giant deception we were pulling over on our library friend.

I went into robot-mom mode and smiled blankly through the check-out line.  This is not who I want to be.  Not at Christmas-time.  Not at any time.  

Good thing we were headed to the library to stock up on books to fill the hours of quality time we have ahead of us.

A few of our finds:

The Cricket in Time Square by George Seldon

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Blast from the Past by Meg Cabot

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

May you find something to snuggle up and read as you recover from the stress of holiday shopping.

december 14th

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's devotion and then go on a hunt for change around the house and in the car.

Deliver it to the Salvation Army bell ringer."

Sometimes I amuse myself with my grand plans.

Ok, so it doesn't sound like a grand plan. But you know, there are days when the smallest things feel daunting.  

This was the last day of school.  And we have worked really hard to get here.  We were wiped out.  All of us.  I had no energy to inspire the kids to go on a scavenger hunt. I took a bath and was in my pajamas before the sun went down.  The kids played way too many video games and I spent too much time on Pinterest.  

We ate dinner in shifts and then I made cookies.  They were really delicious.  Everyone else in my house is in their own space right now.  I am listening to my White Christmas Pandora station.  

It seemed a good time to read today's Advent Devotion:

Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" ~John 1:22

Who are you?

What do you say about yourself?

In business, parenting, updating my fb status, figuring out how to tweet, finding my place at church, even pinning "my style"...I am constantly trying to answer those questions.

And some days it's nice to stop.

Sometime soon we will collect our spare change.  We will deliver it to the jolly ones who diligently ring that bell outside of Kroger.  And we will feel a little pleased with ourselves for sharing the tiniest bit of our abundance.  

But tonight, I will find rest from trying to figure out what I am supposed to give.  I will take a break from answering all the questions about who I am.  And for today, I will practice what it means to just be.

May you know you are loved. Just for being.

december 13th

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion and after school deliver a treat to Dad at his office.

Tell him something you really value about him."

So, I wasn't prepared for school ending at 9:45 am (because of exams).

I did not anticipate the adrenaline that someone must have injected into my children in their sleep.

I can't believe I still have 12 more days of this ahead of me.

Peace on Earth.

Goodwill toward men.

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

Who am I kidding?  I can't.  Sometimes you just run out and today I am out.

The kids are in good spirits. 

They loved delivering "jr. cheeseburgers with ketchup only" to their dad.

Their letters were full of things they noticed, but you don't think kids do.

Like how much they appreciate all the work my husband has been doing to get a new car.

As the day wore on, they could also clearly sense that I was in need of a break.

While I was writing, they both got all up in my space and said, 

"Mom, I think you need to leave early for work today and treat yourself to a little me time.''

Of course, they really just wanted my computer for themselves. But I took their advice and gave myself a break.  I tossed a book into my purse and found my way to a warm restaurant to snuggle into for a couple of hours of mindless alone time. 

May you find peace today and goodwill toward (wo)man. 

Treat yourself to some well-needed "me time".