Picture it. Snow falling gently over a landscape of evergreen trees. Nestled on hill is a cozy little log cabin. Inside, we find the ideal Christmas scene. Dad curled up with a Christmas story and two eager children listening to his every word with fascination. Mom is making hot cocoa. There's a fire going in the fireplace, and every ornament is exactly as it should be on the tree. Such a beautiful scene.
Excuse me as I laugh. Loudly.
Welcome to my world. Let's play picture it again! Snow is blowing with the force of a Category 5 hurricane onto a road where seldom a snow plow dares to venture. There's a house......somewhere, all you have to is listen for the sound of screaming. Follow it, and let's go inside. The kids have just gotten home from their Christmas party at school.....all hopped up on Mountain Dew and Reese's Tree candy. One is screaming because the other got a Secret Santa gift and she didn't. Suddenly both decide they are ninjas, and before you know it dad is pulling them off of each other like pulling a lion off of a zebra carcass. Mom yells, "Sit down! Let's watch a movie. I'll make some hot cocoa if you be nice." The kids quickly swap out horns for halos......until it's time to pick which one to watch.....Then it's game on again.
Okay, movie is on. Mom starts to cook dinner, in hopes that the peace lasts for the 30 minute prep time. Dad is napping, oblivious to the fact that he has children. Suddenly, mom realizes it's quiet. Too quiet. She goes looking for the source of the silence and finds three kids pouring hot chocolate into her purse. Time out for all. The night continues from there. During bath time an entire bottle of soap gets dumped into the tub. At bed time, every kid is up at least 30 times for various reasons.......then all falls quiet.
The only reason a peaceful winter night at Christmas time exists is sleep. Mom looks in on her sleeping children, and realizes that this is all she can expect from children, kisses them all on the cheek, and goes to bed.......just to do the same thing all over again the next day.
XOXOXOXO
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