Chocolate Castles as wel

Remembering a Christmas just a short 5 years ago makes me sad that because of Covid this year, plans had to be cancelled to go out to Phoenix for Christmas, oh but all the sweet memories of a Christmas Past:

It was the year 2015

Oh I could just imagine the sights and sounds we would get to have all around us. About a week ago, I began making cookie dough to put in the freezer so that all I had to do was unthaw and bake when the kids would arrive from Phoenix! I made sure that I knew how to find the Christmas music stations on the TV so the house would be filled with “Ring The Bells, Joy to the World and Silent Night while we snacked on homemade cookies, made just for the precious angels that would be running in and out all week. Making sure to have just everyone’s favorite cookie made, I had my checklist all checked twice and made sure that everyone’s favorite was made and on the platter the minute they walked in the house. Isn’t it amazing how we conjure up what we feel like would be the perfect way to begin Christmas. Visions of a pretty platter of peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip and sugar cookies sitting out, while listening to It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas playing in the background. The little ones would bring us the book,  Twas The Night Before Christmas while wiping sleepies from their eyes the first morning there. We would have the fireplace going with Frosty The Snowman movie on the TV while they cuddled on our laps. IS THERE A FAMILY THAT GETS TO ACTUALLY PLAY THIS SCENE OUT? If there is, please send me to them so I can see what that is really like!

So far, the visit went like this:

From Christmas Past:

The 14 old walks in from being in the car for 2 days, gives us a hug, disappears to go and work on his hair for 30 minutes then goes to his cousins house. Haven’t seen or heard from him since. But we still have the 6 and 2 yr old, right?

Well, after having the 6 year old in our bedroom on a makeshift bed, he awoke in the morning asking every 10 minutes, “can I open a present”! Literally, when we finally had to tell him that every time he ask that, we would take one of the presents out from under the tree and give it to someone else. So he rephrased the question to, “can I NOT open a present” telling us that he wasn’t asking “can I open a present now”, so it didin’t count so we couldn’t take any of his presents away since he wasn’t asking that question. After we got that settled and thought, “ok, we won that battle” he begins to stomp around the house singing,  “What do you do with a drunken sailor, what do you do with a drunken sailor, what do you do with a drunken sailor, so early in the morning?”

I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do know what I would like to do with a little 6 year old that sings that song over and over 15 times.

Maybe if I offer them some homemade goodies, they will be more in the Christmas spirit. So I bring out all the homemade cookies, that are sure to put a sparkle in their eye. They look at them and say, “Nana, do you have any of those Little Debbie Christmas trees you gave us last year when you came to visit us?” What? They are choosing Little Debbie over Nana?

Everyone left to go do last minute errands for a couple of hours! even Frosty left (probably is sitting in the car at a park someplace to get some peace and quiet) so I am sitting here, listening to Christmas Bells Are Ringing. At least I can have visions in my head of what some magical family out there is experiencing with family. And I wonder why our kids gave us a CD of Christmas Vacation with Clark Griswald. Maybe because our family much more resembles that family that the families inside the pages of Southern Living.

Do we really think it was an accident that Grandma stepped in front of the reindeer? Hum….maybe she just couldn’t take listening to “what do you do with a drunken sailor” one more time!

Merry Christmas to one and all! May you and your family make some precious memories in spite of this year of being separated because of Covid this year as you celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord! Because of Him, we can have life eternal, peace on Earth and Joy….we give Him thanks for the laughter and joy that fills our home in spite of current circumstances! Frosty just puts his earplugs in and shakes his head, as I walk around singing “what do you do with a drunken sailor!”

I bet even Norman Rockwell would have loved that Strange Carol had his grandchild been singing it!