The Year Where I Accidentally Discovered the Secret to a Stress-Free Christmas

It's Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas!

But this picture wasn't taken today. Or even this weekend. It was actually taken in the beginning of December.

Originally, the idea of choosing to celebrate Christmas several weeks early due to Daddy's military obligations was kind of a bummer.

I mean, it would have been "better" to have Christmas on, y'know, Christmas, right?

But this Christmas season turned out to have a million little hidden benefits accidentally twisted in. And I wouldn't trade the lessons I learned for the world.

You see, knowing that we were going to celebrate Christmas early, meant that everything else had to be done ahead, too.

Throughout the fall, we purchased the boys' Christmas gifts here and there. A little something one day and a little something another, as we were doing our regular day-to-day shopping. In the end, all of their gifts were all bought and wrapped by mid November.

No rush, no stress, and coincidentally, no big hit on our budget since it was spread out and gradual.

After Thanksgiving, when the actual Christmas celebrations started rolling out, we kept it simple.

No stressing out about perfection. Just enjoying our family, together.

And then, "our family Christmas" was over. But that's when the magic started happening.

For the rest of the world, they chaos called December began. Stressing. Worrying. About the lines at the stores. The crazy drivers. The money. The late night gift-wrapping marathons. The question of what to get who. Forgetting something followed by hectic last-minute store runs. So much to do in so little time.

And do you know what we did? We watched.

We watched everyone worrying and hurrying and stressing and fretting and... We drank hot chocolate and watched Christmas movies.

We played board games under the Christmas tree.

We built graham cracker houses and painted ornaments and took pictures with Santa.

We read books, and sang songs, and really thought about the reason for the season.

And it was incredible.

It wasn't perfect, of course. We missed Daddy, and that was hard.

But the accidental gift of having to have every obligation done early, was priceless.

Christmas was peaceful. Christmas was stress-free. Christmas was everything it was supposed to be.

The secret, one that I already knew, was one simple thing. Early. Ahead.

I've known that little trick for a long time. But never got to experience its magic until now.

So next year, when we will hopefully be exchanging sweet gifts and commencing festivities on the 25th, and maybe even enjoying it with extended family, I hope that I will always remember the magic that was this year.

And have everything ready before December rolls around. So I can once again enjoy the peacefulness that Christmas is supposed to be.

Merry Christmas!

May your celebrations be filled with peace, whenever and wherever they occur!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 

Isaiah 9:6

Thank you for your comments!

Hunter is 6 years, 9 months old

Damien is 6 months, 3 weeks old

Happy Valentine's Day

"We love him, because he first loved us." 

1 John 4:19

Hunter is 5 years, 10 months old

Nothing Makes Me Prouder

Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nothing makes me prouder.

In honor of my amazing husband and all who went before and after him, who selflessly give their time and all too often their life for freedom's sake, we solute you.

And today we are thankful for those brave and noble souls who have died so we could be free. Never forget that the freedom we take for granted is certainly not free.

"All we have of freedom, all we use or know -
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago."

Rudyard Kipling

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

Hunter is 5 years, 2 months old

Tree and Presents

This was Hunter's "gift" to Brandon and me. He drew a lot of things like our actual tree, like the red bow on top, the brown carpet (although ours is actually more of a beige), and the red and green gifts.

We haven't done any more of the Drawing with Children exercises but I really love his representational drawing here. And that he really loves making so many pictures now. (Oh, and by the way, on Christmas day he drew about six more pictures, and kept "wrapping" them and giving them to us to open. Apparently he thought he had to try and match the amount of presents he got. So cute.)

"And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." 

Luke 2:16

Hunter is 4 years, 9 months old

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christ-mas everyone!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 

Isaiah 9:6

Hunter is 4 years, 9 months old

Santa Teaches Geography

This morning my sister sent me a link to a site called noradsanta.org. It is this world map with little marks of "where Santa's been" in live action time. The locations are (I think) in every major city of the world, and if you click on the little present icon over a particular city, it tells you the name of the city and a picture. There are even a bunch of "newscast-style" videos in select locations, such as the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. So far he has covered most of the Eastern Hemisphere.

When I took this screen shot (around noon), he was in the Crozet Islands in the south Indian Ocean. Before that he was in Enderby Land, Anarctica and a little while ago he was at the International Space Station (that was Hunter's favorite).

Cool things about this:

1. The obvious geography lesson. We are seeing pictures of all these world cities, some that we're familiar with and some that we're not, and their location on a world map.
2. A lesson in time zones. Getting a better understanding of how it is night time there, while it's still daytime here, and by the time Santa "gets to" us, it will be Christmas Eve night here, just like it was in China hours ago.
3. More on opposites of seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres. We were talking about how it's summertime in Australia and South America right now, making more references to the tilt of the earth.

You can learn a lot from a fictional fantasy character, can't you? Oh how I love technology...

"God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven..." 

Job 28:23-24

Hunter is 4 years, 9 months old

Opening an Early Present

We have been enjoying the Christmas season together as a family. Christmas music. Little decorations. Buying a tree. Watching some awesome classic Christmas movies. Reading about world Christmas traditions. Tonight Hunter opened one of his presents, which he found wrapped under the tree yesterday. It was a collection of Davey and Goliath videos. Time to snuggle up to a movie together. Merry Christmas!

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." 

Luke 2:6-7

Hunter is 4 years, 9 months old

Dear Santa

A few things about Hunter's Santa obsession:

1. This is the first year he has actually really paid much attention to the whole Santa figure.

2. He has seen Santa twice (once at a military event, once at the library). Both times he had the biggest smile on his face. It was priceless.

3. He's not really sure about it all and keeps asking questions. When he saw Santa at the library, he asked him, "So, where exactly did you park your reindeers?"

4. Keeps relating things he sees in Christmas movies and asking about them. He was wondering how Santa was going to get in our house without a chimney.

5. Was trying to convince me to let him make cookies for Santa on December 2nd.

6. When he finished his letter, he asked Santa if he was ok and warned him because "there are bad guys here." (I guess our stranger danger talk is kicking in)

7. Besides Away in a Manger, he has been walking around singing Santa songs (usually in English with the occasional Dutch)

8. Thinks the way other countries celebrate Santa is hilarious.

9. He can tell you all about Saint Nicholas.

10. He has been wearing a Santa hat from the dollar store since the end of November (in public and private).

11. He thought his stocking was another Santa hat.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Luke 2:14

Hunter is 4 years, 9 months old

Oh Christmas Tree

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid." 

Luke 2:8-9

Hunter is 4 years, 8 months old

Happy Birthday

Hunter has been working really hard to give Brandon a nice birthday. He helped link together hundreds of paper chains, made a six-foot banner, colored paper balloons, cut up homemade confetti, and even made his own party favors (graham cracker treats, his own recipe, unasked and unassisted). He even made him a very cool bookmark, which Brandon will be using quite frequently, and a card.

Can I tell you how much fun he had doing all this? And, on a side note, learning a thing or two? (small motor skills, language skills, nutrition, kindness, hospitality?)

"Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many."  

Proverbs 4:10

Hunter is 4 years, 8 months old

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a fun Thanksgiving.

It was certainly different, without masses of relatives running around, but it was still a fun day together as a family. We also got to skype (which is free domestically) our family back home who was just done eating dinner.

Hunter watched the Animated Hero Classic William Bradford: The First Thanksgiving movie (which we borrowed from the library) about a dozen times and can practically quote it now. In fact when he made his little Indian hat today for a craft, he insisted on having just one feather because "that is how Squanto's was". He colored the band all brown too and didn't use any of the other decorations provided, apparently how it was in the movie.

We also did a lot of reading and finished the classic historic journal, Of Plymouth Plantation (at least the part up until the first Thanksgiving) for the second year in a row. I think he has a pretty fair grasp of the meaning of the holiday at this point.

We had another couple over and had a fun Mexican / American Thanksgiving dinner. We also celebrated Thanksgiving last Saturday at a friend's house (picture below). We are so thankful to have so many blessings in our life.

"Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works." 

1 Chronicles 16:8-9

Hunter is 4 years, 8 months old

Thanksgiving Reading

I finally found some good Thanksgiving poetry. The poem below was written by William Bradford, the governor and historian of the plymouth colony.

I also found a few more on this website that we have been reading. Some of them were cheesy "turkey day" poems but there were a lot of good ones. We are also reading through Psalm 100, the "thanksgiving psalm".

And lastly, we are reading Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford again this year. We're reading it online, since I couldn't find a full, unedited copy at the library. These readings and poetry have been great for learning more about our Christian heritage, which I am very excited about.

Here is the poem:


From my years young in days of youth,
God did make known to me his truth,
And call'd me from my native place
For to enjoy the means of grace.
In wilderness he did me guide,
And in strange lands for me provide.
In fears and wants, though weal and woe,
A pilgrim, past I to and fro:
Oft left of them whom I did trust;
How vain it is to rest on dust!
A man of sorrows I have been,
And many changes I have seen.
Wars, wants, peace, plenty, have I known;
And some advanc'd, others thrown down.
The humble poor, cheeful and glad;
Rich, discontent, sower and sad:
When fears and sorrows have been mixt,
Consolations came betwixt.
Faint not, poor soul, in God still trust,
Fear not the things thou suffer must;
For, whom he loves he doth castise,
And then all tears wipes from their eyes.
Farewell, dear children, whom I love,
Your better Father is above:
When I am gone, he can supply;
To him I leave you when I die.
Fear him in truth, walk in his ways,
And he will bless you all your days.
My days are spent, old age is come,
My strength it fails, my glass near run:
Now I will wait, when work is done,
Until my happy change shall come,
When from my labours I shall rest,
With Christ above for to be blest.

"Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage."

 Psalm 119:54

Hunter is 4 years, 7 months old

Passover

Tomorrow is Passover, one of the most significant (yet least celebrated) events in "holy week".

It is going to be Hunter's first Passover, as we have never formally celebrated it since Hunter has been born. We are both very excited and have been preparing for days.

One of the things we did was make a "Pesach" (Hebrew word for passover) place mat, which has the Seder plate (Seder, the Hebrew word for order, is what the Jews call the passover dinner), the four cups (glasses of wine or juice that are drank at various time throughout the meal), pieces of matzah (unleavened bread), and a picture of a lamb and a cross to represent Jesus, our passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). The verse, Exodus 12:26-27, is on the left side:

"And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses..."

Back from the very first passover (the actual one, when all the firstborn of the Egyptians and unbelieving Hebrews were killed), God instructed the Israelites to tell their children the story of their deliverance from Egypt every year at this time. It was on Passover that Jesus had his last supper with his disciples, and told them the famous words, "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."

The placemat has that verse on one of the pieces of matzah, and on the other piece it has John 6:35,

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

Over the picture of the lamb and the cross are the words John the Baptist spoke to the crowd when he saw Jesus coming,

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

There is so much significance in all of these symbols, and I can't wait to share with you all the many things that I have learned in preparing for this celebration. Our whole family is going to be taking part in the Seder meal, so because of work and school schedules we will not be celebrating until Saturday night. Looking forward to telling you all about it!

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD."

Psalm 34:11

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

Getting Ready for Passover

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."

Exodus 12:14

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

St. Patrick's Day

Today Hunter went to a St. Patrick's day parade.

His favorite part? The Irish Setters (dogs), and the candy of course.

It's not a big holiday on our list, but we learned a little history about it anyway. We read the book "St. Patrick's Day" by Dorothy Rhodes Freeman, which was pretty interesting and gave us a general idea of who he was and what he did, and how certain traditions came to be associated with him (like leprechauns, heavy drinking, and clovers).

The holiday wasn't a huge focus of ours but he had a fun day anyway.

"O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness... The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God..."

Psalm 68:7-8

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

Look Who's Four!

Hunter had his much anticipated birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese today.

We had been planning it since November (when his cousin Anthony's Chuck-E-Cheese party got canceled) and it was a big hit.

Started kind of early - at 10 am - because the kids get double tokens if you reserve it at that time. And the hidden benefit? WAY less crowded.

Even with almost exclusively family (and we only invited part of them) there were a lot of people and a lot of presents.

This birthday's theme was trains. Last year we did the theme of jungles and monkeys, the year before it was Tonka trucks. He is really into his train set so I thought that would be a good theme, although by the content of his presents you would have thought that the theme was cars and Spiderman (almost every gift he got had to do with these things). But those are two things that he likes equally well, so he was really happy with all of his gifts.

I got him the Eyewitness book, "Train", which will be a great resource. I ended up ordering it online because the bookstore didn't have any good books about trains, and I am really happy with it. Eyewitness makes some really good books on all sorts of subjects, and I really like all the pictures they have (often dozens of various pictures on each page) with information that is exciting and interesting. The train book has 63 pages of information about everything train from the first trains to how railroads are operated to diesels, subways, and future trains, facts about royal trains to mail trains to track-making to model trains. It is loaded with fun history, and I know Hunter is going to enjoy it a lot.











These are the birthday cakes he had, I made the vanilla one and Katie made the chocolate one.

Hunter loved the Chuck-E and was very eager to get his picture taken with him. He had a lot of fun playing all the games and climbing in the tunnels. We will have to go back sometime on a day that is not as busy.

All in all, Hunter handled the whole thing really well. I will have to say that he was a bit overwhelmed while we were opening presents - and who can blame him? - but he nonetheless smiled the whole way through, posed for a great many pictures and gave dozens of hugs and thank-you's (even though he really wanted to get back to those games).

It was a fun day. A little bit hectic and slightly (but not extremely) expensive, but something he will remember for a long time to come.

Pictures of the big day, with Hunter and all of his guests (only one of the group pictures is a non-family member! And we only invited a small portion of our family):

"And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation."

Psalm 35:9

Hunter is 4 years, 0 months old

Museum of Science and Industry

An Afternoon at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry from joel gratcyk on Vimeo.

Today we went with our family to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. We haven't been there in a long time even though we have a membership. It's a really great museum, and apparently the largest science museum in the Western hemisphere! We're so blessed to live so close to such awesome learning experiences in our community.

The main focus of our visit was to see their seasonal exhibit, Christmas Around the World or also called Holiday of Lights. Each year at Christmas time they deck their halls with dozens of Christmas trees, each tree representing one of more than 50 countries. The ornaments on the trees represent the traditions of the country and there is a tablet in front of each tree giving you information about how that country celebrates, a traditional holiday greeting (Feliz Navidad!), and other fun information.You can actually go to the link above and read about the different countries featured.

Some of the trees didn't quite represent that country's respective decorating traditions, i.e. the USA tree looked more like a Fourth of July tree than a Christmas one! But the Swedish one, on the other hand, had tons of familiar decorations, like the straw reindeer and the weaved paper heart ornaments. Hunter's Great Grandma was full-blood Swedish, and we actually have some Swedish Christmas decorations such as these that she gave us.

We learned a lot in this exhibit and read many of the trees.

Fast Forward

The Fast Forward into the Future exhibit was pretty neat. Emailing pizzas? Human-like robots? There was a lot of interesting stuff in this exhibit, which Hunter enjoyed. Below - Hunter and Jocelyn enthralled by the "magic" mist at the entrance; Hunter experiments with some sort of sound-mixing music machine; Hunter tests out a fuel-efficient car; butterflies land on Hunter's outline as he experiments with a computer that can be run by your shadow.

Chicks and Genetics

Hunter really loved the baby chicks at the Genetics exhibit. I think we all did, as we hung around there for a long time! There were a lot that were already hatched but we didn't get to see any hatching, unfortunately. Hunter and Jocelyn also really loved playing with this touch-screen controlled video presentation that takes you into life in the womb.

Trains

We briefly looked at the train exhibit. There were tons of awesome little electric trains running on over 1000-feet of track, with mini replicas of the city of Chicago and so much more.

Aerodynamics

We spent quite a while relaxing in the aerodynamics exhibit, which I would have loved to explore more with Hunter, except I spent most of the time sitting down! We were all pretty exhausted at that point - well, everyone except Hunter that is! I had a hard time keeping an eye on him as he was busily running all around checking everything out!

"And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints."

Psalm 89:5

Hunter is 3 years, 8 months old