Merry Christmas

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
Luke 2:8-15

May God's favor rest with you today. May you have peace in your hearts and in your homes.

Then, go. Go and see what it's all about. Commit yourself to seeing this thing that has happened, every day, and revel in the peace it brings you.

Merry Christmas from the Head family.

"And We Were Happy To Have It"

You know those people who get offended every time anyone phrases something differently from the way they would personally do it, or flip out when someone's tradition doesn't meet the standard of what is "correct" in their own bubble?
I try not to be one of those people. Everyone is different, and what's right for me and my family may not be right for you and yours.
However, if you are one of those people, you might be offended by this post. I'll bet you won't stop reading it, though, because the easily offended types tend to seek out reasons to be offended.

As I said before, I try not to be easily offended by certain phrases. I don't even know if "offended" is the best word to describe how I feel about this, but it just...bothers me.
As is common for this time of year, I've been hearing a lot of radio callers seeking assistance for friends and family members who are having a rough time of it financially. That's a very nice thing to do, and it's awesome that the radio stations are willing to help out. What irritates me, though, is when they ask for help so that their friends' children can "have Christmas," or so that they can, "buy Christmas." I do not limit this to radio callers who are trying to be the hands and feet of Christ by helping their neighbors. I hear it from people I know when they are going to Target to "buy Christmas."
I'm not stupid. I know they mean Christmas presents. But, I feel like they need to actually say presents.

If you think I'm about to launch into a "Christmas can't be bought" rant, you're absolutely correct. It can't. No one can take a credit card to Macy's or amazon.com and purchase peace on earth. No check written can cover the cost of God's only son coming in the form of a dirt poor carpenter's kid to save the world from itself.

If you really want someone to "have Christmas," I suggest beginning with introducing them to Luke's gospel account of Christmas.
 Then, watch a few movies with them. First, A Charlie Brown Christmas, then Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and finally, A Christmas Carol. To "have Christmas," a person would need a sense of the love and peace that are supposed to accompany the holiday. He or she would need to see friends working together to make a simple, little tree embody the spirit of Christmas in spite of the rest of the world insisting that only bigger, fancier, and more will do. You would need to make sure they understood that, "...maybe Christmas...doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." And, of course, he or she would need to see how inportant it is to share with those who have less than we, because if we hoard everything for ourselves and make judgments about who is worthy to receive our gifts, we end up bitter and alone. But, that little baby in the manger was born to help us turn ourselves around, so it's never too late to learn to love.

I would also recommend watching the Christmas episode of Little House on the Prairie. Do you remember that one? I think it was the show's first season. The Ingalls family was waiting out a terrible snow storm in a little cabin on Christmas Eve. They had each other, but not much else. No gifts, little food, and it was bone-chilling cold. Then, along came Mr. Edwards, trudging through the frozen woods with icicles hanging from his beard, singing carols and bearing gifts. Were his arms laden with toys and new clothes and a giant ham?
Nope. Each child got a small tin cup, a penny, and a peppermint stick. And they were THRILLED!
Do you remember your grandparents telling you about how Santa would fill their stockings with an orange, some nuts, and maybe a piece of hard candy, and then follow it up with, "and we were happy to have it!"
No? Too young? Is it because my grandparents were actually my great-grandparents?
Whatever. Anyway, my point is that I can't think of very many modern children (or adults, for that matter) who would be excited to get an orange for Christmas just because it was a gift, which means that someone was thinking of them.

I wish we could get back to that. When I was a kid, there was always this sense of anticipation and joy in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I guess it was a little about the gifts, but that wasn't all of it. I knew there was a Cabbage Patch Kid or a My Little Pony coming, and I was excited about it. What kid wouldn't be? But, it was more than that. There was something about knowing my old toys and clothes were going to other kids who didn't have as much as I did, something about knowing I was going to get to see my cousin (hey, that's a big deal when you're an only child. Just ask her. She's one, too.), something about seeing my parents act as if the gift I chose for them was the greatest thing they had ever seen, that made it special. The music, the lights, the Nativity at church, and the extra hugs in Sunday school made the story of baby Jesus just a little more real.

Now, I feel as if Christmas has become a crazy mess of what-do-I-cook-and-who's-coming-over-and-we-have-to-be-at-this-house-on-that-day-at-this-time-and-if-I-don't-get-so-and-so-exactly-what-she-asked-for-she's-going-to-throw-a-hissy-fit-and-what-time-is-the-Christmas-Eve-service-again?????!!!!!

I don't want that. I want my peace back. I want my joy back. If this is what grown-up Christmas feels like, I want to be a seven-year-old again, just for the Christmas season.

Here's a picture of some people "buying Christmas" on Black Friday:

And, here's a picture of some (OK, fine they're fictional) people, "having Christmas" in their little home:

Who looks happier to you?

Maybe it's time for a little less "more," and a little more being happy to have it...whatever it is.

Not Today

I had planned to write a post today about silly Christmas memories and how different the celebration seems now from when I was a child. Maybe next week.

But, not today.

Today, I think we all need to say a prayer - a real, heartfelt prayer and not the kind we say we're going to pray because it's the right thing to say, but then we never pray it - for those children in Connecticut who aren't going home from school today.
We need to lift our hand to the sky and, with tears of lament streaming down our faces, plead with our loving God to wrap his arms of comfort around the parents who hugged their babies for the last time this morning, without knowing that it would be the last time.
Do you realize that that school only goes up to fourth grade? None of those children had even had a double-digit birthday yet.

This is such a broken world. I won't be writing about my own Christmas memories today. I just want to love those who are suffering something that I cannot even imagine. Then, I want to hug my babies. I might not let them go until it's time for bed. Maybe not even then.

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18)
Loving God, be close to those who are brokenhearted today. Bring them the peace that only you can. We are broken, but you can mend us. Let us reach out to and remember our grieving brothers and sisters in your love.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Amen

Just a Couple of Pictures

As usual, I have some things swimming around in my head that I'd like to blather on about, but as the past few weeks have brought illness to at least one dweller of Head Manor per week, I haven't had a lot of time to blog.

So, as we move through this beautiful season of Advent, (I'm trying to put more emphasis on anticipating the coming Christ than "Santa brings lots of presents to little girls who put their toys away") I wanted to share two pictures from Madeline's first Christmas pageant.

If you know our Sweet Pea at all, you know that she's a very loving, friendly little girl...as long as she knows you well. She's not a big fan of crowds or being in the spotlight. Anyway, here you go:

Sweet Pea is the tall child on the front row with the white bow. We started out great. She was singing and doing her little hand movements. And then...

She noticed that a lot of people she didn't know, were looking at her. Eeek!

 

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Sweet Pea is 3!

Happy, happy birthday to the little girl who stole our hearts and turned me into a pile of mush three years ago!

She has gone from a sleepy bundle of sweet-smelling love, to a beautiful, wonderful, intelligent child in such a short time.

In the future, I'm going to want to remember that when Madeline was three, she told me that things "smell like butterflies" when they have a pleasant scent.
 I'm going to want to remember that her compassionate heart was already starting to show itself when we went shopping for our angel tree child and she was so concerned the a little boy didn't have shoes or socks, that she asked me to buy shoes for his mommy and get him something yummy to eat, too. I'll want to tell her about how she melted my heart every day when she would walk over to me and kiss my arm before wrapping her arms around my leg and saying, "You're my favorite in the whole world!"
When she and her brother are older and at each other's throats, I'll want to remind her that she used to bring him toys to make him happy when he cried, and that she couldn't stop hugging him.

But, that's the future. Right now, let's just see some pictures of our precious Sweet Pea.

We love you, Madeline!
God has awesome plans for you and we can't wait to see what's in store!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy

A Letter to L.L. Bean

Dear L.L. Bean,

Thank you so much for thinking enough of us to send us multiple catalogs each day of the week from October through December. I'm starting to feel a little guilty for not sending anything in return, a little concerned for your finances as that is A LOT of money to pay for postage, and a little sorry for the entire forests that must be disappearing at an alarming rate if you send this much bathroom reading material to everyone in the United States.

Not to sound ungrateful, but I think you might have overlooked one small detail when making your generous contributions to our mailbox. We live in Alabama.
I realize that where you are (Maine, is it?), it snows frequently and you have use for the products featured in your wonderful catalog. However, I feel it is my duty to let you know, without the slightest hint of hyperbole, that a few inches of snow down here will paralyze the entire state for long periods of time.
Observe. This...

...was enough to shut down schools, thereby leaving me out of work, for an entire week.

While we do appreciate the fine craftsmanship of your khakis and you do feature some spiffy barn coats on the pages of your catalog, I am going to suggest that you simply leave out the pages with certain products listed when mailing them down here. This will save a few trees, will save some postage money, and will leave more room for Pottery Barn to clog my mailbox with advertisements for things I might actually use.

I suggest you leave the following products out of the catalogs you send this far south:

1. Snow shoes. If you ask someone from the deep south what a snow shoe looks like, they will probably tell you it's a tennis racket with a belt tied around it. After all, that's what Elmer Fudd used and as that is the only frame of reference we have ever had for snow shoes, it's a logical conclusion. Honestly, when I saw these in your catalog, I had no idea what they were and had to read the product description.
2. The Sonic Snow Tube and Sonic Saucer. I'm surprised you don't get more Southerners writing to you, asking how that thing is supposed to float down the river with the bottom covered. They would be impressed that you managed to cover an inner tube with camo, though. As for the saucer, that's a little too classy for these parts. If we had enough snow to warrant the use of something like that, every one of these rednecks (no offense meant. I have plenty of redneck blood in my veins.) would be coating trash can lids with Crisco and sliding down hills a la Clark Griswold. No "soft, nonslip foam interior" needed.
3. Earmuffs. I have never owned a pair of earmuffs in my life. We don't really need them. It doesn't get cold enough.
4. Your Tartan Flannel Nightgown. Not that we don't wear flannel down here. Lord knows, if I could still get away with wearing a flannel shirt and my Doc Martens, I would. But, that nightgown is just ugly. Seriously. My great-grandmother wore more attractive sleepwear.
5. The Snowball/Snowblock Maker Set. Now, I may not have been exposed to a lot of snow in my lifetime, but I can't see paying $30 for a set of plastic tongs that serve the same purpose as my hands. Do people actually buy that?

Again, thank you for your thoughtfulness. It means a lot to us that you want to correspond with us so frequently during the holidays. I hope you'll take my suggestions to heart.
I'm about to go and check the mail, so I'm sure I'll be hearing from you shortly.

Happy Holidays!

Your Friends,
The Head Family

Thankful

I meant to do a Thanksgiving post yesterday. Really. I did.

Better late than never, right?

I sent out a Thanksgiving ecard to family members, and it bore a quote that sums up the attitude that I want to have, not just in November, but always.

"Gratefulness is being more aware of what you have than of what you don't have."

I didn't do the thankfulness posts this year for that very reason. I'm trying to resolve to always be grateful, rather than always lamenting what I don't have (and honestly, don't need).

I don't need bigger, shinier, fancier, nicer, I-want-to-impress-my-neighbors-and-have-that-thing-just-because-they-do stuff. It's not a competition.

I woke up this morning. So did my husband, and so did my kids. We're warm, well-fed, clean, and dressed.
For all these things, I am thankful. Most of the world would be ecstatic if they could claim that many advantages in one breath.

Thank you, God.

Observations Made at Disney World

First, I'll reflect on some things I already knew, but confirmed while on vacation.
1. My children are fabulous.
2. I have the best husband in the world.
3. I don't like being hot.
4. I love creme brulee.

Now that we've established those facts, let's move on to some things I observed while in Orlando. You should probably know that Disney World was hosting something called "Jersey Week," during which New Jersey residents flock to the Magic Kingdom for reasons that Dan explained to me, and I promptly forgot.
Anyway, that brings me to my first observation. This:

...is not just a stereotype. It's real! I really saw women dressed this way, with this hair, with high heels and shorts, walking around Disney World. I thought it was all just for TV. I've never actually been to New Jersey. I've driven through it, but I never stopped. One of my favorite former students is from NJ, and I never got this from her.

Next, with so many New Jerseyans (Jerseyites?) I had the chance to observe something else. Actually, this could fall under the heading of things I already knew, but it still astounds me when I see it.
Yankee women don't smile.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about midwesterners from Ohio or wherever (Jakki). This isn't about non-Southern women in general. I mean women from New Anywhere, USA, who refuse to smile. Now, maybe it's because I am Southern, but I just can't imagine looking at someone like this:

...when they tell me, "thank you," "excuse me," or "hi." This look is also the response to gestures such as holding a door open or, what seems to be the worst offender, smiling.
I'd love for someone to explain this phenomenon.
To be fair, I know this is not true of all yankee women. But, it seems that there is a group of them who want the rest of us to believe it is.

OK, I'll leave the snark behind now.
My third observation was that the Disney experience changes dramatically when you have small children. My first trip to the happiest place on earth was my honeymoon. I'm not going to lie; the It's a Small World made me want to jump out of the boat and swim out.
I loved it this time. Seeing the excitement and joy on my babies' faces when those creepy little robots started to sing, was pure pleasure. I would ride it with them a thousand times if they asked me to.

Last one:
$1.59 buys an entire bunch of bananas at Publix. It buys one single banana for a tasty breakfast at Disney World.

That's it.
It's almost time for Thanksgiving/Madeline's birthday/Christmas posts!

Guess Where We've Been!

I'll give you a hint...

 

Yes, yes. That is Cinderella's castle at night, all lit and beautiful. We spent 6 awesome days at Disney World! I have many, many pictures to share, so I'll give you a photo narrative.

 

Madeline, giving Baby D some love at Pop Century.

Our resort provided trips down memory lane from the 1950's - 1990's. This one is from the 1980's, and pretty much sums up my entire childhood.

Brownie sundae. No, I didn't finish it. Yes, I wanted to.

Not a great picture, but this is their first reaction to It's a Small World.

"So, they're singing...but, they're not real people? But, they look like real people?"

"Ok. If you say so."

First time meeting Goofy. David loves Goofy. You know, from a distance.

Seeing as how he can't walk yet, Baby D spent most of his time in his stroller. But, he took it all in stride!

Riding Dumbo with Daddy.

He had enough.

At not-quite-three-years-old, my Sweet Pea is only three inches away from being able to ride stuff by herself.

Sweet Pea and Daisy have been inseperable since their first meeting.

Dan, reunited with the dinsosaur that employed him 13 years ago.

Madeline, meet Mickey. Mickey, Madeline.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the whole vacation. Look at her face! (Madeline, not Daisy.)

"Goofy, my old friend! I missed you!"

Us, Chip, and Dale.

I love his sweet face.

Meeting Cinderella was great. It's just that, well, Madeline really likes food.

"How you doin'?"

She actually ASKED me to take this picture!

Meeting Aurora. (That's Sleeping Beauty for thosse of you who don't have princesses at home.)

I love this picture.

Waiting to have dinner with Winnie the Pooh.

Love and hugs for Pooh.

We were surprised at how Madeline took to the characters immediately, but David's reaction went from nervous to shy to frightened.

I hope you liked the pictures. I'll post again tomorrow with some observations I made while we were there.

Oh, and in case you didn't know, my children are blessed with the best father any kids ever had. That's no exaggeration. We couldn't ask for better and we love him to the moon and back!

Boo!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

The Perfect Fall Day

We spent the early part of today at Old Baker Farm, climbing on hay bales and picking out pumpkins. We also purchased and consumed some fresh, local honey and one of the best brownies I've ever had. It was a cool, 54 degrees with some wind blowing the beautiful red and yellow leaves all over. Such a fabulous autumn morning!
Enjoy the pictures and stay tuned for Halloween ones in a few days!

I'm trying to get her to look at the horse she kept insisting she wanted to ride. She does love horses, just not too close.

Loving on my Baby D

This child was less interested in the pumpkin patch than his mama at a sporting event. And, that's pretty disinterested.

He still has a beautiful smile, though. :)

She LOVED the hay!

There was a Civil War re-enactment getting ready to take place. You can tell by the cooler and the guy wearing khakis and a baseball cap that it was very authentic.

Pumpkins!

Picking the first of three pumpkins.

"Seriously, big people. Why do you keep sitting me by these hard, orange things?"

She would not let go of her pumpkin. She has asked about a dozen times, since we've been home, to go outside and check on it.

PIcking pumpkin two.

I love, love, love this picture of my Sweet Pea!

"Another pumpkin. Really, big folks?"

Don't let the somber, tired looks on my childrens' faces fool you. We had an awesome time.