Christmas Eve

A doctor friend who works with Robbie emailed me yesterday about how he could only imagine that our children had reached fever pitch with excitment toward Christmas. Today as they ran around the house singing with glee, I thought of that comment. So true! Tonight, once we finally got everyone to bed, Henry's voice rang out with a loud, "Mommmmyyyy!" I went to him, and he wanted to potty....again. While he used the restroom, I explained the importance of getting into his bed and going to sleep so that maybe Santa will bring him a Lightning McQueen (from Cars) toy. He looked at me seriously and said, "I been naughty or nice? I want presents, Mom." I laughed. Once I put him back to bed, I said, "I love you, Henry. Jesus loves you...and so does Santa." "That's funny!" he replied.

Well, some red wine and some caramel popcorn helped ease the pain of our 7 pm mass. Granted, our two youngest go to bed at 7 pm. Robbie and I are educated adults, yet we decided to go ahead with our 7 pm plan. It was a disaster. We arrived 45 minutes early, and Robbie and Olivia entered to save us some seats. I kept the little ones in the van with the special treat of a Christmas DVD movie to watch. We only watch movies in our vehicle on highway trips, so this was a big deal. Henry got upset once it was time to exit the van. He wanted to take some Lightning McQueen holiday window clings into church with him, and he tried to throw himself on the wet ground while I held Vivian (in her red winter pea coat), the diaper bag, and keys. It wasn't pretty. Once inside he went limp again a time or two, and I couldn't find Robbie in the packed house. A friend saved me by showing me the location of my husband, and I just left upset Henry in the aisle so I could drop off the baby to Robbie. People were staring. During mass we sat much closer to the front that usual, and Henry noticed a Christmas vest on the woman behind us. "Hey, that's RUDOLPH!!" he announced. He started asking her questions about her outift, and then he said, "Mommy, can I have a Rudolph shirt too?" The baby was good for 3/4 of mass, then she'd had ENOUGH. She started crying, and even the kind old woman next to us who let Henry touch her red gift earrings and pet her fur coat couldn't cheer my baby. The big girls were good. Actually, Evelyn earned our highest honor, Gold Star Behavior. She was an angel. I think she was too tired to act up in mass.

However, once home she completely and absolutely freaked out with fear that we were not getting her to bed fast enough. She was convinced Santa was going to pass our house, and she was crying and almost screaming for somebody to please unzip her dress. "For the love of God, get this thing off of me!!" I think she would have added, had she had the phrase in her vocabulary. Now, we haven't heard a peep out of her since lights out, and that's no short of a miracle. The funniest part about her tantrum was that once I finally got her to open her special Christmas Eve package, the box was Robbie's Kashi Go Lean from Costco. She was furious. She actually threw it on the floor, and said, "I don't want that!!!!!!" I know it seems naughty, but it was hysterically funny. Robbie and I laughed hard, and we understood her fear of missing Santa and his magic. "Why would I want a box of dry old cereal, parents?! I need to GO TO BED RIGHT NOWWWW" her little mind flew. I got it. The others opened gifts and found snowflake PJs, all coordinating. Evelyn figured it out, and she dressed herself in the new clothes faster than the others.

I love Christmas. My parents made it so special for us. We hope to create the same excitement and wonder for our four. I kept reminding the kids about Jesus' birthday too. They are young, but I think they get it. My favorite mass of the year is Christmas Eve, and my favorite song is Joy to the World. When it plays, I think of my dad. He belts out that tune, and I just love it. It isn't Christmas without Joy to the World. This year Dad and I weren't together. I missed his singing. However, Vivian kept things exciting. She screamed during the entire song. I re-entered the church before that final song. I couldn't be without my family during it. I just couldn't. Baby girl cried real tears, and nothing helped. I was so distracted that I didn't cry my usual Christmas Eve tears from missing my dad. Maybe that was Vivian's gift to her mommy.

Mama's tired. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! God speed, Santa!!!!!!