Little Drummer Boy

You have to watch this video (link the bottom). I love love LOVE this version of the song Little Drummer Boy.

I used to really dislike this song. As my Aunt Mac used to say, "too many rum bum bum bums." But I think it's the extra words that have been added into this version that makes me love it so. That and there's a funny memory attached to it for me now.

Two years ago Micaiah was almost 3 months old. We had just traveled back to Gwinnett from Augusta that day. Micaiah never was one to sleep very well in the car after he was about a month old, so he had not slept well that day. He was cranky and overtired to say the least. Nonetheless we packed him up to head to the Gwinnett Arena for the Christmas Eve service. I forgot his paci. In his state he *needed* a paci.

Being at the Gwinnett Arena, it was LOUD. As soon as that drum line came out during Little Drummer Boy and started barreling away, Micaiah's crakiness went from bad to worse. I could not calm him in the squishy tight stadium seats. I tried taking him to the cry room thinking he would be ok if it wasn't so loud. No luck. I tried sqeezing into a bathroom stall to nurse him. No luck. I tried walking him through the lobby to bounce him and sing songs in his ear. No luck. Finally I ended up in tears right along with him.

Thanks to a dear friend, I found out where the nursery was. I was a regular nursery volunteer, so I thought that even though I hadn't signed up for him to be kept in the nusery that night, if I could just find someone I knew, they would let me rock him in peace or something.

Have you ever thought about how awkward elevators are on a normal day? I have, and this was worse. I felt bad for the people in the elevator with us because we were both in tears for the agonizingly long 30 seconds it took to get to the downstairs floor.

I was able to make it past the nursery security officer. I think he had pity on me knowing that there's no way I was going to harm any of the babies in the nursery since I couldn't even keep my own baby from crying. Anyway, I found some people I knew, left Micaiah in someone else's arms while I went back upstairs to get Scott.

I told Scott I was just ready to leave. By the time we got back downstairs, Micaiah was peacefully asleep. Aaaaahhhhh.

Two years later, I can smile.

Watch the song and enjoy.
(it won't let me embed the video, so follow this link and watch)
http://vimeo.com/16074082

This is Christmas

I've really grown to dislike all that Christmas has become. The comercialization of it. All of the emphasis on gifts, the wreaths, the trees, the red and green. Even Santa and that ever popular Elf friend. Just so you don't misunderstand, we do have a Christmas tree. We have some red and green sprinkled about, I like Christmas wreaths, and we do give gifts (just not with Santa, but that is not what this post is about). It's just the heart of it all in this culture today that gets me.

We've been doing an advent calendar this month where we put up a different part of the story of Jesus' birth each day as we read through the story. For the last week or so Micaiah has woken up each morning and said very excitedly, "Baby De-us on calendar!!!" We always tell him "Not today, we'll put him on the calendar on Christmas."

I just love his eager anticipation...on a 2 year old level...of our Savior. That is what Christmas is about: celebrating our Savior King and remembering his birth. Only like we're trying to teach Micaiah, it doesn't stop there. He actually already came, took death for us, and is coming again! We not only want to look back and remember, but we also want to continue to look forward with eager anticipation. May we remember what Christmas really is and not make it about anything else.

Christmastime

I was thinking recently about Christmas trees, and how if we're going to go as far as to put a tree in our house as something that represents Christmas and decorate it (it's kind of strange when you really think about it), then why in the world would I put a fake tree in my house? I don't know. I might just be a real tree convert after this year. The tree we have is a very nice, hand-me-down artificial tree. We only use half of it or else it would be way too big for our liking. For those of you who know Micaiah you may get a kick out of this: Micaiah has really enjoyed seeing the Christmas trees in the stores lately. When I asked him if he would like to put a Christmas tree in our house, the first thing he said after "yes" was "pime (climb) up". After I shot that idea down, his next grand idea was to "knock over." He actually has been very gentle with it and enjoys it. However he is extremely concerned by the fact that he has a first Christmas ornament that still doesn't have his picture in it. I told him I would put one in it, and he will NOT let me forget as he reminds me multiple times a day. :)

You can tell the section Micaiah decorated.

I made an advent calendar this year to use with the boys. It is based largely off of Noel Piper's 'Noel Calendar' which is no longer available. We have the story of Jesus' birth that is divided up with a different part of the story added each day. It is read so that each day you start from the beginning again and then just add on the next part and put up the corresponding piece. At first, Micaiah didn't understand that we don't put it all up at once. So we had fun reading the story several times from start to finish in the beginning. :) Now each morning at breakfast he reminds us that we need to "read calendar," as he says. I love how the story is repeated and built upon each day because now after several days of repeating it, Micaiah is able to say some of it. His favorite part is where Luke 2 is quoted, and it starts "O Bethlehem..." he says "OOOOO Beh-hem". Just cute.