Holidays

All I see every time I click on Facebook is someone new agreeing with the NO-MORE-LITTLE-HOLIDAYS post, and I for one can't take it anymore!

These "special days" have little to NOTHING to do with things. What they are about however, is creating memories that will last a lifetime. Our children will have days, weeks, months, and possibly years that will be hard and full of trials. So why not, while they are young, do whatever we can to make them smile, laugh, or go to sleep with the excitement only a child can muster. I move a small stuffed elf every night for 24 days for no reason other then to hear the sweet pitter patter of little feet and tons of giggles as they try to find out where Dunkin is, and the best part is when they happily help a younger sibling find him. 

The truth is I am running out of years that my children will even be slightly interested in these things, and I intend to do everything I can to make it magical. Life is hard and these children will learn that all to soon, and there is almost nothing we can do to stop it. I hear mothers constantly complaining that the world these days is forcing our children to grow up way to quickly, and I echo this concern. So why not do a few little things to keep life light and fun? 

I guess I'm the only one, but I am constantly reminding my children to put laundry away, do homework, practice the piano, take a shower, unload the dishwasher, do Saturday jobs, be nice to your brothers and sisters, and the list of nagging mothering could go on forever. So what is the harm in "celebrating" small days? 

As a stay at home, if I don't have 5 minutes (or quite frankly an hour) to do something to put a smile on my children's face, then what in the world am I doing all day! I don't want to be rude, but if we can't push pause on our DVR's for long enough to do something that will make our children smile, the people we love more than anything else in the world, then there's a problem. And it's not with the kids! What kind of message are we sending our children when we spend days preparing a lesson for church, weeks planning a dinner party, all day cleaning our homes when someone is coming over, but sorry kids I don't have 5 minutes for gold coins.

  

 I'm not suggesting spending tons of money on elaborate decorations or parties, but I see nothing wrong with spending a few minutes to make your toilet water green, or dressing up as past presidents, or eating green eggs and ham, or checking to see if spring will come early, or eating pie when its not Thanksgiving, or anything else that is special and exciting to an only-little-once child.