Why Is Christmas So Great??

I have always loved Christmas time. It didn't matter what was going on in my life, this time of year just seemed to make it all melt away. It still does, but I am so busy that I don't have time to enjoy it at all. With three kids, you have three times the stress, aggrivation and work. I have two girls who love the same things, and when I see something I really want to buy for one, I wind up buying two so that they don't argue over it later. I also have a boy who is what I would call very lazy most times. He likes to sit and do nothing most of the time. If there is a pool in the yard, he will go in and get wet and stand in the yard for an hour. If I ask him to read, he refuses...if there are cars in the house, he won't play with them unless the girls play too and he can tell them to park where he wants them and only drive when he tells them to. He loves video games...so much that he gets a nervous tick and will rub his forhead until he bleeds, so we have put a stop to that all together. no video games.
My mother used to always make things at Christmas. Fudge, peanut brittle, four kinds of pie, chocolate covered peanuts and cherries, and cookies. So now, I am expected to keep that going cause Grandma does it. I can't bake worth a crap, but I can make some cookies. Well, that means about 3 hours of making, baking, decorating and cleaning up the kids' mess. The wrapping of presents would be an easy task if it weren't for three kids who think that they have to do it and then need my help on every one. I also get to do the honors of putting up the Christmas tree and help them decorate it. Then there are three seperate Christmas programs to go to on different days and treats to make and parties to volunteer for. Whew!
Christmas Eve is my only real day off this time of year. My oldest daughter goes to visit her father and my son goes to visit his mother. We usually visit with my in-laws while they are gone. No work for me that day until Santa is supposed to show. The only hard part about that is trying to put the toys out without hitting every button on each toy, and running outside to try them out before I put them under the tree. Almost got caught last year when batteries were low and one toy wouldn't stop talking while I was in the other room.
Then there is Christmas morning. LOL, I actually got lucky, my kids never wake me...I always wake them up about 7 in the morning! I remember waking my parents at 3 a.m. and then going back to bed until they were ready to get up! We start the Turkey early so that we can eat early and spend the rest of the day in agony and taking naps and then go back for more food. The kids spend the whole day running all over the house making noise and fighting over who gets to try what toy and when.
Still, I love this time of year. The lights, the displays, the parades, the charities, the (REAL) tree, the food, the candy, the gifts, the snow and especially the smiles on every child's face when they realize there are only a few more days until their dreams become a reality. It really is a great time of peace, hope, joy, love and giving. Cherish every Christmas ( and every other day) whether you believe or not, because life is short and there may not be a tomorrow.