Family Christmas Movie Night

Good Wednesday morning!

I'm looking forward to today. It's supposed to be cold, blustery and rainy all day long. My favorite kind of day... especially if you don't have to spend a lot of time getting in and out of the weather. It's the kind of day to sip hot tea or hot chocolate or hot cider (just hot something) out of a Christmas mug. (Also, my house doesn't seem as dusty on gray days... or at night. That's a plus, too.)

The Featured Ornament today is my Cherished Teddy Nativity Scene. Roxie took the picture for me, and it's a little fuzzy. But, she's my big Christmas helper now, ready and willing to do practically anything that has to do with Christmas. When the kids were smaller, they would tell the story as they put all the pieces in place. I have the Cherished Teddy Christmas Train and Cherished Teddy Santa's Workshop, too. I guess it's my version of the Christmas villages. I just think they are so cute.

My Christmas Card Count for Wednesday stands at 14. (Thank you, Cam!) Slowly, but surely, we're getting there. Only 61 to go for my goal of 75. Remember, I will not be devastated and this will not ruin my Christmas if I don't reach my goal. I'll get through the massive disappointment somehow. Don't worry about me.

I'm going to finish my little story about the Busy Basket today, and then off for what I like to call a "transition tradition." I'll explain more later in the post.

Busy Basket - Part Two

The more I thought about keeping my basket filled with only the best things (the things God wanted me to do), the more I thought about how to teach this to my kids. The first thing we did was cut down to one extracurricular per child at a time.

Now, with Austin in high school, his schedule is naturally going to be a little busier. He has band, and this past year he joined the youth choir at church. Youth choir is not normally a huge time commitment except for this week... the week of the Pageant. It takes up five out of seven nights. That, along with tests and other obligations is a lot, but we talked about it beforehand, and he went in knowing he would have a week like this one.

I also declared one season "extracurricular free." All the kids have loved basketball, so there were times when all three kids were playing basketball at the same time. It was a busy season. However, if that was the case, we knew that spring and/or summer would be free of extra activities. A time to regroup, think, rest, and just play outside or hang with friends.

Does it always work? No. Sometimes we have overlapping activities. Sometimes everything falls on one night. Sometimes I get four different letters from school and church listing activities all in the same week... and they don't call me first to see if its okay with my schedule. Imagine! But those times are few and far between.

All of the kids have had to empty their Busy Baskets from time to time. I always go back to the verse, "Be still, and know that I am God," Psalms 46:10. "Be still." I don't know if our society knows how to do that anymore. I had to have a golf ball-sized benign tumor in my left breast (twice) to get to the point where I could "be still." I literally have to stop in December and June and totally re-evaluate my life and what I'm doing. Being still does not come naturally in the year 2008. However, I believe at some point every day that's exactly what we're supposed to do. The fast-paced life doesn't really leave time to talk to or really know God. I love just saying those words out loud. "Be still."

What am I doing now, you might ask? Well, Mikie and I are directors of the Middle School Sunday School Department at church. We feel this is where God wants us to serve right now. It doesn't sound like much, but at the same time, I really wanted to minister to people with meals, and rarely does a month go by that I don't fix one or two home cooked meals for someone who has a need. That might not be a huge thing, but I also believe it's what I'm supposed to be doing right now.

I believe this blog is something I'm supposed to be doing. Not just for a way to journal or have a creative release, but to share ideas and thoughts with other people who may or may not think exactly as I do.

This December, I can honestly say there are three things in my Busy Basket... and I believe those things are supposed to be there.

You may have a totally different philosophy, and that's fine. Every family is so unique, and that doesn't make me right and you wrong, or vice versa. The tumor thing was just something that happened in my life that changed some of the things I was doing as a mom and wife. It works for us, but every family has it's own rhythm, so something totally different may work for your family. The one thing I think we all have in common as moms and wives is the very real need to "Be still, and know that He is God."

Family Christmas Movie Night

My sister and I have three children each (Austin - 17; Brad - 16; Josh - 15; Katie - 14; Roxie - 12 and Zac - 10). Since Austin was ten months old, my entire family (grandparents included) went to see Santa, and then we would eat at the food court of the mall. We gradually added the other five siblings and cousins, and for 15 years we would pick one night in December to visit Santa and eat out together. It was a tradition. (Even though the older ones were too old to visit with Santa the last few years, they still went with us while Roxie and Zac sat in his lap.) It was a fun thing to do, and for 15 years we loved doing it... together.

When the time came for everyone to stop visiting Santa, we didn't want to lose a night in December we had spent together as a family for the past 15 years. We created Family Christmas Movie Night.

On Thanksgiving Day, everyone's name is put in a bowl and we draw one. Zac was our first name drawn, and he chose his favorite Christmas movie. (He picked Home Alone.) We pick a date to get together. No one is allowed to watch the chosen movie on TV or anywhere else until after we have had our Movie Night.

We also fix a very simple dinner... chili, hot dogs, pizza, etc. This is not our big family Christmas, so it doesn't have to be a big fancy dinner. There are no gifts exchanged. It is just a time to get together and simply enjoy a movie, popcorn and each other's company.

I call this a "transition tradition" because we can continue to do this forever. We can add girlfriends and boyfriends to the mix. We can add new wives and husbands. The only rule is once your name has been drawn, you do not get your name put back in the bowl until everyone else has a turn.

This year Brad's name was drawn and he picked A Christmas Story. Bev and I take turns having this Movie Night at each other's home, and this year is her turn.

Although our kids "outgrew" visiting Santa, we didn't want to lose a night we had always spent together as a family. (When the time comes, I also have "transition traditions" for Easter and Halloween. When you think about the things kids will outgrow, you could lose a lot of family time in a year unless you come up with something to take the place of Trick or Treating or Egg Hunts, etc.)

Tomorrow I have a fun date for you and your spouse. (I'm thinking I may throw in two. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.)

Have a great Wednesday, and I'll talk to you Thursday.