Paper: What our Christmas tree was made of
Since we were working on installing our living room floor throughout December, we postponed putting our tree up. I started worrying that it would get too close to Christmas before we cold get it up, so I made a tree out of paper and hung it in the corner where our tree usually goes. When I picked the kids up from school that day, I told them that I put the tree up. When we got home, Daisy went in the living room, saw the paper tree, and started crying. "You didn't tell me it was paper!" she sobbed. That night, I let the kids decorate the tree, and suddenly, they were all fans.
Scotty wasn't sure about the paper tree and kept saying he felt guilty about not having Christmas lights (we also skipped Christmas lights outside this year), but after some time, he acknowledged that a paper tree is actually pretty awesome. It saved a ton of space and will be super easy to put away. I thought it would be a one-year thing, but I have to say, I'm a fan of the paper Christmas tree, so we might see another one in the future.
I wrestled a bit with some feelings of anger at the beginning of the season. I went through a "don't boss my Christmas" phase where I was really bugged by everyone telling me Jesus is the reason for the season. Not because I don't believe in Jesus, but because I get tired of being told how I'm supposed to celebrate and what I'm supposed to feel at Christmas time.
As I navigated my "don't boss my Christmas" phase, I came to some really wonderful realizations - one being that God thinks I'm doing just fine, and that I can bring Christ into Christmas in my own way.
Full: The feeling in my belly
I forgot what it was like to feel hungry until the day after Christmas when I postponed breakfast, and at 9:00 a.m. I thought, "What is happening to me? I feel weird." Then I realized it was hunger - the sensation of my body actually needing food.
Success: The result of my attempt to make a buche de noel
I took French for five years, and I always thought it would be fun tradition to make a buche de noel each year for Christmas. Twenty years after this idea struck me, I finally did it!
I looked at several recipes (there are so many possibilities), and I didn't have all the ingredients for any of the recipes I found, so I improvised and used what I had at home. My cake was total guesswork, and it ended up being way too thick to roll. I was able to cut it in half horizontally, and make TWO buches! It's not very often that my mistakes result in double the success!
Gifts & Cards: The things we gave and received
I love giving gifts and sending cards. In the Christmas card and neighbor gift debate, I am pro-both. My reasoning for this is that they force you to think of people.
Shannon and I had several discussions about this during December. It's not about the gift! It's about connection and showing people that you give a darn. My neighborhood is not particularly "friendly," so taking Christmas gifts around is one of the ways we help break down the walls (this reminds me, I ate my next door neighbor's gift and had to text her an IOU).
This year I made over 35 freezer meals to give as gifts (this was not my neighbor gift, but gosh, that would be a pretty cool one). This required me to eat all the food in my freezer to clear up space (hence the ten pounds I've gained since November) and stack the meals in my freezer very strategically and Tetris-y. It was very satisfying to accomplish this since I have a fondness for mass food production.
Anonymously: The manner in which some surprises were delivered to us
We are not often the recipients of anonymous gifts and acts of service (I don't say that in complaint, I just want to establish that it's not something that happens to us). In fact, one year, someone knocked on our door, and when I opened it, our entire porch was covered in presents - boxes and boxes of them, including a gigantic package of diapers. I freaked out and was overwhelmed with guilt because we were living quite comfortably at the time. I was worried that I'd complained about money in front of someone and given them the wrong impression or something. Then, as I was looking through the gifts, I noticed they had individual names on them. They weren't ours after all! They'd been delivered to the wrong house!
I was so relieved! And so excited to call the person they belonged to. But sad that I had to give the diapers away.
Because diapers.
Anyway, this year, we had some mysterious surprises. Some I was able to get to the bottom of and some I wasn't. And it drives me crazy to not get to the bottom of things!
Obsessed: How I feel about The Greatest Showman
Several weeks before Christmas, my sister-in-law invited my kids to sleep at her house on the 22nd. It took me all of two seconds to decide how to use that time. I was going to go see Hugh Jackman's new movie.
I was more excited for that night than I was for Christmas.
I won't say too much because I don't like when people talk things up and their friends end up having high expectations only to be disappointed, but my vocabulary word should give you some idea of my thoughts.
My celebrity dinner party will now feature a sing-along moment with Hugh Jackman. Good chance there will also be dancing.
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