Christmas.  What a rollicking holiday it can be, chock-full of parties, school performances, church services, cookie baking, gingerbread house making, carol singing, and more.  As the parents of (growing) Littles it seems that each Christmas becomes busier than the one before.  And so each year the hubs and I try hard to be thoughtful about our family’s holiday plans, aiming to make them heavy on the joy and Jesus and light on the stress and strain.  And each year we score some wins, suffer a few fails, and learn a whole lot in the process.

And so as we wrap up our “Round 6” of this whole Parenting Little People Through Christmas experience, I’d like to share a few buds of wisdom that I gleaned from the holiday.  Get excited.

1) Despite that internal Mommy voice nagging at you to JUST KEEP SHOOTING, it’s probably best to not get your hopes up for capturing “the perfect” family photo on Christmas morning.  Because the chance of finding a moment when everyone is actually looking and cheerful (or at least not p-oed), and no is being pummeled by a sibling is slim to none.

2) No matter how overflowing your daughter’s dress-up box may already be, there can NEVER BE TOO MUCH PRINCESS.  We’re talking princess dresses, princess hair, princess art projects, princess books, princess bear (thanks to the financial black hole that is the Build-a-Bear workshop).  There’s no end to the princess possibilities!  So just lean in, embrace your inner sparkle, and remember that no matter what you buy her she’ll always just want to “look like Elsa.”

3) Boys are simple.  And your Little Man can never, ever, ever have enough trains.

Other moving vehicles are neat.  Amusing even.

But trains?  That’s where it’s at.

As in ALL OVER YOUR HOUSE.  (Maybe pick up some steel-toed slippers for yourself while you’re out.)

4) You can, in fact, get away with buying your third-born just 1 or 2 gifts.  That is if, and only if, one of those gifts is a “GAH-BAGE TWUCK!!!”  Then you’re golden.

5) It’s helpful to marry a man who combines an endearing mixture of creativity, frugality, and complete and utter devotion to his children.  The outcome – in the present department, that is – can be pretty fantastic.

6) No matter what you say or do, or how many bibs, utensils, napkins, or threats of “Daddy’s pulling out the garden hose!” you provide, your 3-year-old son WILL turn his Christmas dessert into a sticky, goopy, uber-disgusting face mask.  It’s just what he’s gotta do.

7) When you are at the brink of exhaustion, having spent all of your I-must-make-Christmas-magical-and-wonderful-and-memorable-for-my-children-who-would-probably-have-been-just-as-happy-with-a-box-off-styrofoam-peanuts-and-a-spoonful-of-frosting energy, you should dump your kids in the car and MAKE HASTE to your parents-in-laws’ house…

Where you can pawn off your overly-stimulated Littles on their aunts, uncles, and cousins and drown your exhaustion in a plate full of ham and a glass full of vino.

8) And finally, when all of the festivities come to an end and you find a brief moment for reflection (as you squeeze yourself between the mounds ribbons and wrapping paper on your couch), you will ultimately conclude that all of the planning, the late-night projects, the self-imposed stress, and the occasional meltdowns were worth it.

Because of this.  (Err…These?)

And because of the birth of JESUS, Christmas IS a beautiful, wonderful, amazing time of year…deserving of every bit of celebration and hoopla we can muster.

(And you have 364 days until you have to pull off the whole crazy feat again!)

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A few video snippets from our Christmas morning.  Type in “wright” to watch.