Why I Won't "Bring It Down a Notch"

Things travel like wildfire in the land of Facebook.  The latest is "Can We Bring it Down a Notch?" , a mom begging other mothers of the world to bring down their celebrations of holidays.

The author, Kristen Howerton, complained that there is too much hoopla (did anyone else just hear Spongebob when you read that word?) surrounding the small non-holiday-holidays like St. Patrick's day for her to keep up with in her home.

I'm going to admit it...I'm one of those moms.  I "do it up" whenever I can - the leprechauns trash the house and leave chocolate coins, the Elf makes it's rounds every December,  I have mailboxes filled with notes and surprises on Valentines Day, the tooth fairy leaves elaborately folded dollar bills filled with fairy dust under pillows...

Why do I go to all the trouble? Is it to make other mothers of the world feel inadequate? Is it to create work for myself? Is it because I'm bored?

I do it because I'm a junky.  My drug of choice is elusive and strong.  It's WONDER.

Seeing wonder on my kids' faces is priceless and addictive.  I've seen it when I take them to Disney, but I have also seen it when they find an elf sleeping in a tissue box after a rough night with a head cold.  It's rare and beautiful and I'm hooked.

Childhood is so fleeting, as I look at my 11, 12, and 15 year old I know it is gone in the blink of an eye.  I have worked hard to create circumstances to create wonder, I had to get one more hit. I am hooked on trying to create traditions and memories for my kids.  I want them to feel things, I want to experience surprise and delight and wonder. I can't apologize for that, I'm an addict.

They don't believe in all that "hoopla" anymore, but I still do it because now that wonder has evolved into tradition.  It is our common family "thing". It's the knowing smile, the wink, the eye roll, the "you remembered" I get when they see the elf dangling from a wrecking ball (ala Miley Cyrus).

We just recently spent $300+ transferring all our VHS home videos to CD so I could relive their moments of wonder and they are so priceless to me.  I still cry when I hear an exclamation of surprise or wide eyes of wonder. I move close to the TV and soak it in, I remember, I smile, I cry. I feel their childhood slipping through my fingers like sand, I'm grabbing at it trying to hold on for a few more precious seconds.

I didn't always feel this way when I was in the thick of it with potty training, spoon feeding,  and sleepless nights but I tried to hold on to even those moments when I realized how fast time was passing.  I'm no expert, but my best parenting advice is to just be present in all the moments of childhood, the good the bad and the poopy.  Try to create memories and moments you can pull out of your pocket when you need them 10, 20 years down the road when you need a "hit". 

...blink...

It Looks Like Clark Griswold Threw Up Out Here

We took our annual drive through Hartwood Acres Festival of Lights Display last night. Do you have something like this in your town? It's a yearly event in Pittsburgh to benefit Children's Hospital and Project Bundle Up, and it's a light display set up through an entire park. Imagine Clark Griswold had his way with a three mile stretch...it is tacky and fantastic all at once.

We have a certain drill we follow that begins with the kids begging to take off their seat belts every 10 seconds during the last 5 miles of the drive there. There is lots of threatening to not go if they ask again and lots of crying as the anticipation becomes tension during the last mile that is total gridlock in stop and go traffic.

Once we turn into the park all hell breaks loose and, somehow, these little children can physically remove me from the front seat to take the best viewing spot. I still haven't figured it out, but there is a whirlwind of activity as everyone's seatbest flies off at once and the car rocks back and forth and when I come to I'm sitting in the back on top of someone's booster seat!

Soon, everyone is happy...but not for long. It's time to argue about whether the windows will be up or down (it was 19 degrees outside). Usually, the kids asking for the windows to be up are wearing t-shirts and refuse to put on a coat. I am a kid at heart and think the lights should be viewed with the windows down, so I join in the argument (I am sitting in a booster seat, after all).

There are dinosaurs, teddy bears, reindeer, Harley Santa, and the blinding 12 days of Christmas. There are lighted tunnels that give you a strange sick feeling when you drive through them, volcanos, and Santa's toy shop... We all have our favorite displays and since I held the camera, I captured my own faves for you.

The first thing I love is watching the kids silhouetted against the lights as we drive into the entrance. I like to see the wonder and watch them point and anticipate what is around the corner - that view satisfies the mommy in me and now I can move onto the ooohh's and aaahhh's with everyone else.

I love the blue lights on the mansion that turn it into an ice castle

and the green forest (they also have the white forest, red forest, and blue forest!)

and the super gaudy illuminated nativity, nothing says Jesus like 10,000 watts!

I hope you find some time to participate in your own family traditions this season, I think it really makes the holiday. Go see some lights!
Tomorrow, a tutorial for a fun placecard idea for the holiday table.