Christmas Build Up

December was a whirlwind like always. And since the flurry of activity isn't going anywhere anytime soon, I have made it a point to try to notice the little moments of joy amidst the chaos. There were a handful of peaceful, magical moments this year that I want to remember.

First was Blake's first piano recital. He practiced for months to learn and memorize his piece and showed up the morning of his performance with no nerves, just excitement.

We sat on the wrong side of the stage to see his facial expressions, but he nailed his song.

We unwrapped and read our children's books around the Christmas tree. It is my very favorite tradition; a chance to slow down for a few minutes each night and soak up the spirit of Christmas.

I got my Christmas cards designed, printed and mailed out approximately four days before Christmas. The feeling of dropping stacks of envelopes into the post office box, addressed, stamped and sealed, is unparalleled.

We went Nash's first grade holiday performance at school.

Finn showered him with hugs afterwards.

Crew was the only one to make a gingerbread house this year, thanks to preschool.

He also got to go on a field trip at the fire station with his preschool buddies.

We can always count on Finn to mosey his way in to the group of preschool friends.

There's just something about little boys and firetrucks.

Some of my favorite December moments were unpictured.

Like when Blake shared his favorite candy bar with his brothers that he earned at piano without a thought of hesitation.

Or when Troy had the idea to tell the boys to get their pajamas on and jump in the car. We munched on popcorn while driving to a neighborhood known for Christmas lights and simultaneously listened to a Christmas devotional.

Or when we attended a live nativity narration in an outdoor theater and Crew asked excitedly at the end, "When are we going to have a baby Jesus at our house?"

Or when Nash's primary teacher asked his class, "What did the Wise Men bring to baby Jesus?" and Nash answered, "Gold, peace and...somethin' else."

Or when we gathered up a bunch of friends and walked through a nearby neighborhood filled to the brim with decorated houses. The neighbors rotated who served complimentary hot chocolate each night and it felt so Christmassy. Until Crew knocked over a plastic Santa...

There's so much to do in December and it's impossible to fit it all in. We added a few new activities to our schedule this year and skipped out on a few as well. Somehow, amidst all of the shopping and Amazon Prime deliveries, the routine schoolwork, the bickering among siblings, the extra decorating and the holiday programs and parties, the spirit of Christmas seeped in.

Sometimes I think it would be easier to skip all of the hassle and headache that Christmas often is, but it's those small, fleeting moments when the boys light up and love trumps chaos that make it all worth it.

Celebrating Blake

Blake decided he'd rather bring a few friends to the science museum instead of having a birthday party this year. I was completely on board with his idea considering the implications of hosting a party the first weekend in December. I feel bad that he has to compete with the holidays year after year, but the museum trumped anything else he could imagine so we rolled with it.

Santa looked lonely so we made the boys gather around him for an obligatory photo.

Blake chose to bring caramel apples over cupcakes. 

They were a little unconventional but I don't think anyone minded.

Showing up at the museum with a few friends and caramel apples ranks #1 for the easiest birthday celebration I've ever thrown. The lack of stress made it that much more enjoyable. Blake was beaming and grateful and that's what mattered most.

Blake is Nine

Blake turned one year older like he always does the first week of December. He planned out his traditional birthday date with me months in advance. We spent his ninth birthday together at Knott's Berry Farm.

He was beyond thrilled to go on all the rides that aren't an option when we have shorter little brothers in tow.

Blake called the shots and he wasn't mad about it.

The park was absolutely empty on a weekday. We walked on every single ride and several rides we repeated three or more times in a row. It's hard not to when you can walk out the exit, back in through the entrance and buckle up before the next departure even takes off.

I let Blake tackle all of the spinning rides on his own.

He's got the smolder down.

We went to Johnny Rockets for lunch and Blake was fascinated by the jukebox. He had never seen one before.

More proof of how empty the park was. 

Blake told me halfway through the day, "On a scale of 1 to 100, this day is 100."

I loved spending the entire day with him and here are nine more things I love about Blake:

1. He is an early riser. He is usually up by 6am or earlier regardless of when he went to bed the night before. When I talked to him about trying to sleep in longer, he told me, "My body can't resist waking up early. I don't want to waste my day." Fair enough.

2. With all that extra time in the morning, he is responsible. He makes his own breakfast, packs his lunch for school and often helps his brothers with breakfast.

3. He is a time keeper. He is always calculating how much time we have until the next event. He keeps me on track and helps us arrive at outings on time. He's not always successful, but he tries!

4. I couldn't imagine a more inclusive oldest brother. He involves his little brothers in everything he does and genuinely chooses to spend his free time with them. Sometimes when we come home from church, he sets up an extended "nursery" for Crew and Finn. He pulls out puzzles, puppets and games and sets up stations for them to rotate through.

5. He is a hard worker. Each weekday, he has a heavy amount of homework to work through. He also practices piano and swims over 1000 yards with his team most days. He buckles down right when he gets home from school. He is starting to see his hard work pay off each time he progresses on the piano or his swim times drop.

6. He is remorseful and repentant. When he gives us attitude or disobeys, he always apologizes later on. I don't know many kids who utter the words, "I'm sorry for overreacting." We often receive apology notes from him. One time he must have felt really bad because he attached service coupons for room cleaning and dishwasher unloading. Sometimes he folds his apology notes into paper airplanes and sends them down the stairwell because he just can't sleep without a clear conscience.

7. He is polite. He uses manners and he is respectful towards adults. He was rewarded an extra treat from his piano teacher recently because he was her only student that day to say, "Yes, please."

8. He is creative. He doesn't build as many machines as he did when he was younger, but he loves to exert creativity into cooking concoctions, circuit sets and LEGO structures.

9. He is grateful. He is the first to thank us for dinner or special outings. Every night in his prayers, he expresses gratitude for "mom and dad who work so hard for our house and our food." He thanked me at least once per hour on his birthday date to Knott's Berry Farm.

I can hardly believe he is beginning his last year of single digits. Happy ninth, Blake.

You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry

Santa paid a visit to one of our local town clubhouses the first weekend of December. The boys were already dressed up from attending Blake's piano recital, so we headed straight to visit jolly ol' St. Nick afterwards. 

Waiting in line was hands down the boys' favorite part. At least for the littles. The big kids were too busy narrowing down their lists for Santa. 

Finn's sweater was clearly too big on him and his arm escaped multiple times while playing horsey with Crew.

The chain dividers that sectioned off the waiting area also provided endless entertainment.

When it was finally our turn to meet Santa, Finn wanted nothing to do with him.

He escaped as quick as possible while the other boys ran through their wish items.

Crew needed some encouragement from his older brothers to speak out loud to Santa.

Now the candy canes, Finn was on board with those.

He'd just have to wait the rest of the month to see if Santa thought he was naughty or nice.

Mummified

Our first order of business after arriving home from our Thanksgiving trip was putting up the tree. It sat empty for a few days until we got around to hanging the ornaments.

When I opened the bin containing the tree decorations, the boys had other ideas.