Gather ‘round young moms. I have a holiday secret…

Christmas is CUMULATIVE!!!!

I didn’t realize this for a very long time, so in early motherhood I was still really going for it.

You know, perfect tree and coordinated decorations and sentimental gifts and cookies for the neighbors and trips to see Santa and matching Christmas pajamas and cards sent to every single person I ever knew.

I wanted to do it ALL!!! I wanted to give my kids Magical Holiday Memories!!

But then somewhere in the middle of striving for Christmas ‘magic’…LIFE happened.

And life was HARD! Marriage was hard and work was hard and motherhood was hard. I was soooo tired. And I realized I couldn’t do it ALL.

I figured I just wasn’t good at this ‘Holiday Mom’ thing. So, I chose one or two ‘magical’ things for Christmas every year. Then did my best to be present and enjoy those one or two things.

Like one year my boys wore matching Christmas pajamas. And one year we baked cookies for the neighbors and walked them door-to-door.

One year we waited in a long line to see Santa (gosh, I LOVE that picture of my middle child throwing a fit on Santa’s lap!!). And one year we made adorable ornaments for the tree.

One year I misspelled our own last name on a Christmas card I sent to every single person I knew. And one year my oldest boys were in the nativity scene at Mass.

One year we rode the Polar Express complete with hot cocoa and ringing bells. And one year we bought presents for a family in need and hand-delivered them before Christmas eve.

But do you notice what I’m saying here??

ONE YEAR.

All these magical memories didn’t happen in the same year because we just can’t do it ALL!!!!

(In fact, the only tradition I’ve managed to carry on every year is ‘homemade’ cinnamon rolls from a tube on Christmas morning)

Now I’m seventeen years into this motherhood thing.

And when I look back over seventeen Christmases as a mom, I can only remember little ones in matching Christmas pajamas and little faces smiling on Santa’s lap and watching my kids ring the bells on the Polar Express and clumsy Christmas cookies and my boys dressed as wise men in the nativity and eating warm, gooey cinnamon rolls around the table with my family on Christmas morning.

Turns out…I AM a good Holiday Mom!!

Because Christmas is CUMULATIVE!!!!

It all adds up!!!

MOMS, WE DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALL EVERY YEAR!!!!

We can pick one or two things. Then just be present. And soak it in.

ENJOY those few little things.

And trust when we look back one day, we’ll realize we really did do it ALL.

We gave our kids the most Magical Holiday Memories we possibly could…

And the gift of an unstressed, present mom who enjoyed the moment.