The years that give us that extra week between Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite! It's a week to prepare for the Christmas season. Once December 1 arrives, the advents begin, the festivities fill our calendars, and sometimes Christmas just turns into chaos. Silent and holy nights are few and far between. But my prayer this year is for slower days, quieter nights, and a refocus on what's really important and why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.
As I look back over pictures of the past, the memories of little girls in matching pjs (which we might still do!), of giddy giggles opening our advent house doors each day, and family traditions that have changed a little each year, it all makes this mama heart ache and swell at the same time. There have been peaceful years and truly chaotic years. As I've thought more over this past month, "What should this year's Christmas look like?" much will stay the same, while some things will be different. That sweet house with doors labeled 1-25 will be opened to reveal something simple for every day leading to the 25th (a Christmas activity or act of service). This little house has been a blessing and curse over the years. One year when I was determined to do an act of service with my girls every single day, I found myself yelling and frustrated because either their heart wasn't in it or I was hurrying to get something ready to give to someone "in need" with a fake smile and an exhausted heart. But most years have brought so many sweet memories!
This year will have less filling our calendar. Much of that is due to less extracurricular activities than in years past, but I want to take what's important to us and tweak it to hopefully work better. As a homeschooling family, we have some flexibility to do this. We began our school year early so we can intentionally take slower school days in December. Lots of reading, crafting and baking! We are trying a different family advent this year to continue to point our focus to Christ, and I'm really excited to do it along with our church family. The first link below is the one we're using this year.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp (another great Advent book that we've used for years)
Come Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp
Now, none of this is intended to add guilt as I know we will miss days of reading as a family and there will be nights that I'll have to sneak the cards around inside our advent house to avoid Christmas shopping on a busy day and instead just watch a Christmas movie. These ideas and links above and below are just resources to help, not to hinder your Christmas season.
Keep things simple! If Cracker Barrel after a busy day of shopping is going to bring some calmness to your week, go for it! If graham crackers and leftover halloween candy for "gingerbread houses" make for a nicer mama, then ditch the homemade gingerbread recipe. Advent is a season of waiting for Christmas. Waiting involves silently sitting sometimes.
Below are several links to some great gift guides to hopefully help make even gift giving a little more peaceful this Christmas.
A Gift Guide for the Homeschool
25 Gifts for Book Loving Kids (or Adults)
Dozens of Bookish Gifts for Kids
Several gift guides for kids (the explorer or inventor in your family)
The ultimate link! Stocking stuffers, gift guides for guys, traditional toys!
Our fancy gingerbread houses (with Trader Joes gingerbread men to help)
