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A few months back, the children decided that they were going to set up their own little elf shop, and informed me that I wasn’t allowed in it!  With this in mind, I planned to forego a few learning traditions and habits we have to accommodate the Elf shop and I haven’t been sorry!  I’ve taught measuring, and crocheting so far, what a fun ‘un-school’ style our learning has taken for the month, starting post Thanksgiving,.  Not too far off from the ‘normal’ learning climate to tell the truth, its just usually there is a little bit more method to the madness, shall we say!

With the ‘Elf-Shop’ forth with, the nice thing is I haven’t been kicked out, the un-nice thing is, it seems to have sprung forth across the house.  Children do love to buzz about the hive, their mother, don’t they.  I’d really like to figure out a way to keep this better managed.

In the month of December, I love to use one of Donna Young’s blank calendars, and fill it up with little bullet-ed memories we make that year.  Always the week before Christmas the week is mysteriously blank.  I hate that swallowed up lump of memories as if they didn’t happen, but I know that the reason that week is blank is I get so busy I don’t write things down.  But its just fun to have little bits written to document our fun season.  Simple things like “Stick cloves into oranges”  ”Go look at Christmas tree lights”…etc.

And as for me, I’ve already experienced to some extent, the gammot of human emotion at Christmas time.  That stressed feeling like, “Nobody talk to me or I’ll explode” yet you try not to say it, that feeling of poignant joy when you are caught in the path the Lord wanted you in, and those moments of joy as the memories roll forth.

Last night on our calendar, goes watching the yearly Christmas devotional.  The twist being that Riley and I nestled down on the couch, and the children piled on top.  It was a big dog-pile on the sofa…and it was pretty sweet.  This year, Riley said, “Lets get more excited about the devotional, by making cookies to eat with it.”  Yum, yum, yum.  Great chocolate chip cookies too!  Its that recipe floating around with the corn starch.

Here was an accidental moment, I have tried to make a tradition of reading to Bridger a chapter or a little less, as I set him down.  As long as he has his nestled blanket he’ll put up with this.  What happened was I opened the scriptures, right to one of the Nativities; I’m not sure if it was Luke 2, but reading Mary’s faith as she said “Be it unto me, according to thee…” was just so beautiful!  What a poignant moment!  Here’s that Bridger, drifting off to sleep:

I know that this time of year is filled with joy, but it has its stresses too, and those are real and do impact the season.  My prayer for myself, and for you as well, is that the grace of the Lord can accompany us and help to prioritize, as well as magnify our abilities to love, serve and truly enjoy the season to celebrate Christ, and loving and giving!

And for those of you who may read my post and this time of year is hard for you, due to losses of relationships or people, deaths, or extreme financial strains, may the Lord bless you in all merciful ways and make your season special in its own way, and stave your burdens that they might be light enough to carry on with the measure of joy that you can feel at this time!

God Bless us everyone!