The Holidays are here! Time to trim the tree, bake cookies and play the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Cannon" at max volume until my family goes crazy. We haul a tree home from the hardware store and start hanging decorations where ever we can. The mantle is draped with stockings and piled high with Christmas nick-knacks. The walls are plastered with Lorien's home-made decorations and sugar is all over the kitchen. Tip-toeing in right behind the holiday decor is always the bribe of presents from Santa in return for good behavior. (I love this holiday tradition...) Last year we had to make a chart for the kids. Their names were on the top with two columns below labeled: "Naughty" and "Nice". Every time the kids were nice, they got a check in the "Nice" column...you can see where I am going with this... We were forced into a visual reminder of Santa's All-Seeing-Eye to keep the kids in line leading up to Christmas. Seriously, we told Lorien and Wyatt a thousand times "If you have more naughty checks than nice checks Santa is not going to bring you any presents." The kids counted their check-marks all the time trying to keep edging the naughty out with the nice. There were more than a few tears when the naught inevitably out numbered the nice. Really folks, we are those kinds of parents. Sad, but true. This year however, we've only had to threaten to put the chart up. Nothing like dishonesty to keep your kids well behaved.
Last weekend we kicked off the holidays with the ward Christmas party. The primary kids sang a few songs as part of the evenings entertainment. The kids were great! Check out their "choir" outfits. Each child got also got to wait in line to sit on Santa's lap. This was the first year we didn't have a child melt down at the idea of sitting on the lap of a white-bearded stranger.
Oh--it is also time for the most stressful holiday tradition of all--Christmas cards. I will probably send mine out on Christmas Eve again this year. I am breaking out in hives just thinking about it...
4 comments:
Oh, how cute, I have been trying to find someone who has these pictures, can I steal them? I am kicking myself that I forgot my camera.
The "Santa Threat" no longer works on my older kids whuch can really make things difficult. Love the choir outfits and let your kiddos know, they sound wonderful! PS I stole some of your BLOG Camp pictures for the Camp Calendar!
those outfits are awesome!
Merry Christmas Cassie! I decided not to send cards this year. It was such a weight lifted off my shoulders. Maybe next year. I loved you last post about orphans. You cannot deny that you are a Damon. You look exatly like our grandmother. Love you.
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