It's That Time Again???!!!!!

It's that time of year again. It's Christmas time! All of the little kids are so excited! My own kids couldn't wait to decorate the house and put up the tree. Now that I'm older it's harder to get into the spirit since there is so much work involved. It's nice to have the kids bring up boxes from downstairs but it's still overwhelming thinking of where to put things and having to clean up later. The reward, though, is seeing the kids pull the decorations out of the boxes. I'll hear them saying, '..I remember this!' and 'We HAVE to put this one up this year'. It's such a magical time of year for children. I just wish I could have such energy.

When I was a child I remember nagging my mother to get the decorations down. I couldn't understand why she wasn't as excited as I was. We'd have to wait and wait until my mom or dad would get the ladder out in the garage and retrieve the old boxes filled with treasures. The second I saw one I was transported to the magical time of year that held such joy. Once inside, the boxes were lined up in the living room. I associate the smell of musty cardboard boxes to Christmas. The tree decorations were individually wrapped in tissue paper that had gotten darker and more aromatic each year. With each ornament I unwrapped I would get more excited. Back then I didn't think about money or work or any other problems that are present now. I was caught up in the moment. Looking back, I never even fathomed that Christmas would change in years to come.

My husband and I celebrated Christmas in our house by ourselves for several years after we were married. I would decorate, but it wasn't the kind of decorating I had done as a child. Our new living room furniture was cranberry and green fabric along with nice end tables. I went and bought a lot of ribbon in those colors to make bows. I attached bows to each of the branches and finished by draping a gold ribbon all around the tree. It was truly beautiful, but something was missing.

Where were all the mismatched decorations I remembered from childhood? Where was that papery smell that enveloped the house when the decorations were opened? Why did all the decorations stay in the same place the whole season without being disturbed in any manner?

Well, what goes around comes around. After several years we were blessed with our two children. We may be older parents, but it is such a joy seeing our children acting just like we did. The nagging is still the same. The wonder is still the same. The excitement is still the same.

I'll try to place the stuffed Santa in the rocking chair and put the nativity together only to later find the Santa on the floor and Mary and Joseph on the roof of the manger. My snow village will get rearranged several times throughout the season in strange ways.

This is the Christmas I now love. Seeing the season through my childrens' eyes is so satisfying. I guess Christmas IS for children, but I'll selfishly share their joy at the magic of the season.