Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Maybe in a few years...

I have these great ideas of traditions I want to establish for my family. I have dreamt of having special Christmas traditions since I was a little girl. Saturday night we made up hot chocolate for the boys ( I grabbed Starbucks:) and we drove around town listening to Christmas music while looking at lights. Seriously, I had been looking forward to this all month, even had it scheduled on our calendar. There was something peaceful about the thought of it....all our boys strapped in seatbelts, happily oohing and aahhing over the lights, enjoying their cocoas. Reality....not a whole lot of cool lights in our town, children using their outside voices, a few fights, and a few stops to take care of the few fights. Not as relaxing as I imagined, but still a good time with my family. Maybe next year...... :)

3 comments:

Christi said...

I'm so glad you wrote this, because I know that feeling so well. What Jeff and I picture as a really special, peaceful moment turns out to be one of the most stressful times. I think your timing is good because tonight I m planning on lighting a ton of candles in our living room and having a neat, cozy family time...I'm sure there will be an element of that, but I'll still be breaking up fights, cleaning up spills, relighting candles that keep getting blown out, telling a certain someone to stop saying Dumbhead...and I'll just have to laugh and enjoy it for what it is.

I think that's what makes those unexpected, unplanned peaceful, meaningful moments so amazing (just now Max crawled into my lap to snuggle which he rarely does - that's the kind of things we have to cherish right now).

I love that we are growing our boys together!

5 Boys and a Princess said...

The kids have been asking all month when we were going to go look at lights. We ran out of time and month- like you say "there's always next year." Have a blessed Christmas morning. This too shall pass...

~Erica

Lindsay said...

I had to comment on this one, too. I had the exact same wish. It was my bday and we went out to dinner, then got hot chocolates, then off to look at Christmas lights. The kids were so crabby, not appreciative, and when we get to the first nicely lit house, Wyatt starts to throw up! We pulled over, I grabbed him out of his carseat and he pukes all over the side of the road. Needless to say our outing was OVER! We went home and they were in bed by 6:30!

I curled up on the couch with a good book that night. It was a much better way to relax. I tell myself "maybe next year" too!