It’s been a pretty stellar Christmas season in our home thus far.  Eight years into marriage and almost six years into parenthood, I think we’re finally getting the hang of how we best do holidays around here.  Yesterday, I decided that I would take the three kids to the local (huge! so huge! and always very chaotic!) children’s museum by myself.  When Matt suggested that I was out of my mind, I clued him in to my keys to surviving such a morning: (1) mentally preparing myself for the chaos, (2) resting up, and (3) going into it with low expectations.  I think I’ve adopted the same mindset with Christmas this year.  Because I know it’s a crazy time of year.  And I know that it’s even crazier with a husband who works for a church (because, you guys, we kinda do Christmas big).  And really even crazier when you add a few littles and jobs and school andallofthethings to the mix.  It’s just nuts.  Or it can be.  But I prepared myself.  I’ve rested.  And I lowered my expectations.  And it’s been lovely so far.

We have continued on with our tradition of seeing the always-somewhat-sketch Santa at Meadow Lights…

… followed by the requisite red hot dogs (ughhhh), corn dogs, and other fine culinary delights Meadow, North Carolina has to offer.

We joined the masses (i.e. the Summit staff and their spouses) for the annual Summit staff Christmas party.  I know we attend a large church, and we’ve been around for a while now, but I am still shocked when I walk into a room this size and know that it’s filled with our church staff.  It clearly takes an army.  A really, really awesome army.

We decorated Christmas trees out of green icing and ice cream cones.  It was cheap.  It was easy.  It was a Pinterest activity that was actually doable by a normal human being.  Really, how can one go wrong?

Sure, the cleanup probably took three times as long as the project itself,

… but need I remind you that it was cheap.  It was easy.  And it was a Pinterest activity that was actually doable by a normal human being.  We dealt.

Oh and the preschool Christmas program.  It can’t get any cuter.  She can’t get any cuter.  Seriously.

And this one.  She was all-business up there on the stage.  She sang her little heart out…

… and she played handbells.  Handbells, you guys.  Mary Grace was taking herself so seriously and was so very focused that I had to choke back my laughter.  At the end of the evening, she looked at me and sighed wistfully, “mommy, I really enjoyed my performance tonight.”  Lord, don’t let her go into show business.  I don’t have the stamina to be raising the next Miley Cyrus.

Here’s to more week of pre-Christmas merriment!