the spirit of christmas

I love Christmas with little ones.

This year was the first time we have pulled out our big tree since they arrived. (For the last three years, we set up a small tree in the porch where toddlers could not get to it, but this house doesn't have a porch!)  The tree is sparsely decorated, with breakable ornaments packed away and kid-made ornaments placed heavily right at their eye level.  And, when we weren't looking, a little elf snuck into our house and contributed duplo legos, play-food french fries, and balls to the decor on our tree!

The tree is not the only evidence of children at play in our home.  The kids had their own interpretation of the manger scene as well. 

And Bryan had to add some nails to make room for all the stockings on the mantle.

The spirit of Christmas is so wildly revealed in children.  I saw it in Reggie's eyes when I told him about Santa filling his stocking - the one with the big "R" on it. 

And in Brett's uncontained excitement about picking out any cookie he wanted from Mrs. Clauses' Bakery.

It is found in their delight in opening a card or gift, but also in their eagerness to give.

 
The kids cannot stop talking about how they saw Frosty at the winter wonderland (despite that we haven't seen more than a few flakes of snow in weeks.)  Or that they got to take their first train ride with MeeMaw and Papa to go to the Holidazzle Parade, where they saw the Three Little Pigs all in lights!

I saw it in Lydia's search through the zip-lock bag of nativity figures.  She knew just the one she wanted the honor of placing in the stable - baby Jesus.

And with all the making and eating of sweets and treats - oh what a delight!

Yes, it is such a blissful time for kids  - and I love having the pleasure of sharing it with mine.  For me, the memories I will cherish are of my two-year-old telling me, "I yike [like] shepherds", and my three-year-old using every color in the box to color her manger scene- starting with a pink star, and my four-year-old busting out his terribly off-tune version of "Silent Night".  He sounds like an angel to me! 

I feel this constant tug-of-war between what our society has made Christmas to be and living out the true spirit of Christmas.  People say Christmas is about the children.  Well, it's about one child.  The Christ-child.  As a parent, I want to give my children the world. 

God gave the world His child.