Each morning this week when I've gone to get Kathleen from her bed, she has asked, "Is it Christmas yet?" She doesn't really know what Christmas is, obviously. She knows it's Baby Jesus' birthday, but I'm pretty sure that's not what's behind her eagerness for Christmas. She's a bit more excited about the Christmas tree advent calendar (she's been asking for it since, well, since we put it away in January) and the nutcrackers and other decorations she has seen in stores. Oh, and there's the small matter of a Christmas tree. She's looking forward to that, too.
Jim and I have talked a lot about what we want the girls to understand about Christmas. We're trying to be careful to buy and make the girls' gifts, and mostly to keep the giving small, so that Christmas doesn't turn into a big display of toddler greediness. We're also working (mostly with Kathleen, though Madeline understands more than we'd realize) on an Operation Christmas Child box for Samaritan's Purse, so the girls will see that Christmas should be about giving. What we really want, though, is for the girls to understand about the real gift of Christmas -- of who He is and what He did and how He has changed everything forever.
It's probably more than we can hope to get across to a couple toddlers, but we'll try anyway.
We'd heard of Advent Conspiracy before, and I'd visited their website, but I hadn't seen this video before today. (I found it on a favorite blog -- Holy Experience.) I wanted to share it with you. I think it does a great job of getting at what we're hoping to do with Christmas. Maybe it's what you want, too?
A Free Goodie Basket for you and you and YOU!
8 years ago
6 comments:
Kristin,
I've been thinking about these things as well. In fact, I just came from the fabric store with big plans. If it all goes well I will have spent $25 on four gifts. Plus they will be handmade and hopefully, fun and unique.
We are also working on our shoeboxes. Because this is our third year, Emma knows exactly what she wants to put in them. I wish we could send one to our compassion child. She's the one I think of everytime we buy something for the shoeboxes.
Maybe I should have written my own post.:)
Love you Kristin!
I can't believe that I just spelled your name wrong!! Sorry!
This is the second friend's blog I've seen that video on. It is a good one. Thanks for the reminder! (If I put off making/buying gifts for everyone, does that mean I'm not too consumer-focused or just a slacker?)
We made a box for a little boy, Caleb's age. He wanted to be really generous and we ended up with way too much for one little box.
That's good stuff. It's fun (and challenging) to think about how to present Advent and Christmas to little ones.
It is really hard to convey the real meaning of Advent and Christmas to the little ones. Ben wants everything he sees! When asked what Christmas is really about though, he does give a good answer-Jesus!
At his preschool they have a birthday party for Baby Jesus, complete with a cake and presents. We take in new baby items for Baby Jesus, and then his school donates them to an area shelter. He loves to help pick out the baby stuff, and then wrap them for his party. We are already looking forward to it this year!
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