Post Christmas Explosion Clean-Up


Does it look like Toys R Us has exploded in your living room?

Ours does.

We had our family Christmas, then Christmas with my husband's parents, and the great-grandparents, followed by Christmas with my parents and sister - presents, presents, presents!

It's a happy sort of mess, with memories of our kids exclaiming, "This is soooo awesome!!" or "No way!" and "This is just what I wanted!!"  After the effort of trying to obtain the best items on their Christmas lists, when the anticipation of Christmas morning has come and gone, there it is:  The big mess.

Today I face the challenge of tackling a mountain of toys, wrapping paper, luggage and laundry from travel.  We don't stay home and enjoy the holidays - we travel and stay with family.  A few days at my in-laws' house to celebrate Christmas, then home for a day to do laundry and repack suitcases.  After several more days at my parents' house...the entire Christmas break has almost vanished, and we have spent a total of one day at home.

Instead of sugar plums dancing in my head prior to Christmas, I had envisioned some time at home to do a few things that I have been putting off for a long time.  Reorganizing our school supplies, planning homeschool lessons for another month, fixing our printer (I don't really know how, but I thought I'd give it the ole' college try), little sewing projects...the list goes on and on.

And then I stop and think:

I really have had a nice break.  We haven't had our normal routine for almost 2 weeks.  The kids have spent more consecutive days with grandparents than they have all year.

We enjoyed my in-laws' new house, and watched the children play with the wonderful things Nana and Pop pop bought them.

I have had time to sit and chat with my mom and sister, to play games we love - Rummy and Scrabble - and to read an entire book from start to finish (this is a major accomplishment for a stay-at-home mom)!

I loved watching my sister interact with my kids - from giving my 4-year-old her first makeover (to her utmost delight) to teaching my 7-year-old card tricks and games, to playing with my rambunctious 3-year-old.

I watched my dad love on my kids, something that almost didn't happen because he could have died of a heart attack last summer, but God spared him.

Trading recipes and laughs about motherhood with my mom - I can't ask for a better time than that.

So, although I didn't get everything done I wanted to,

I was able to do everything I needed to.

Spent precious time with my family, spent time with my kids, spent time with my husband.

What could be more important than that?

  


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