Mom vs. the Dot: Making it COUNT!

Here are a few of our favorite books we read together at Christmastime: Santa, Are You For Real?   by Harold Lawrence Myra Recommended by my husband's family.  Explains the origins of St. Nicholas, how he was a real person who loved Jesus and did kind things for other people.  A good way to "break the news" to older children who are starting to question if Santa is real. The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado A different perspective on the nativity story - a crippled lamb who is left behind when the shepherds took the other sheep to graze in a distant meadow.  This little lamb is first discouraged because he is different and doesn't see his purpose.  At the end of the story, he ends up snuggling up to the newborn baby Jesus to keep him warm.  God had an important purpose for him all along! Christmas in the Big Woods (My First Little House Books) by Laura Ingalls Wilder A sweet look at how pioneers spent Christmas.  This book is spe...

Every year I try really, really hard to get as much done as I possibly can so the week before Christmas is stress-free and lots of fa-la-la-la fun! Every year, I find myself running around like a crazy lady getting last-minute things done and tending to crazy surprises that have popped up to add the the chaos. I had all my big gift shopping done just after Thanksgiving.  I ordered supplies for our church Christmas events at the beginning of December.  So I thought I had everything under control.  Not so, lady.  Not by a long shot. So here I was, today, sweating bullets for my Oriental Trading box to arrive because the party is tomorrow night is the church Christmas party and this momma has got to get Santa's gift bags together and delivered to the church.  My mother-in-law came to watch the kids so I could run to three different towns to do some last-minute errands.  I'm so thankful for her! My husband has been in his own Christmas season rush...

This year at Christmastime, we are trying to teach our children about giving and serving.  One of our favorite things to do is look through the World Vision catalog and pick out a gift for someone in need. This year, we chose to send some ducks to people who need them. They've got great videos to watch, and to share with your family to show them what World Vision is about and where their money goes. I asked my children to give $5 each of their Christmas money to join to my contribution so we could buy something together.  They really liked the idea of helping someone out, and we gave just a small portion of what we have to improve the life of another family. Warm fuzzies.  Lives changed.  Can't beat it. Some of the gifts are really amazing - like $25 multiplied x's 12 = $300 in clothes or nutrition or medicines for people in need.  Our kids chose animals because...they like animals!  We picked ducks because we read that chickens sometim...

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 ha...