What Is the Meaning of All This?!

I've been so wrapped up with this holiday season (pun not intended, although quite apropos) that I've been feeding my family out of the freezer--literally. Frozen veggies, potstickers, chicken nuggets - anything that Costco sells in the freezer department that can be warmed/cooked in the microwave has been the staple of our dinners. And I'm not proud of it.

This year instead of the usual 10-12 dozen cookies I bake for school teachers, bus drivers, neighbors, and friends, I've decided to go "low-key" and try my hand at making creative soap bars. I've even tried to have the kids help out by making colors and mixing the melted glycerin. Ha - I should have known better. I'm a perfectionist and somehow preschoolers mixing colors into pleasant soap hues isn't exactly a realistic expectation.

Oh - and there's the Christmas cards. Photocards with handmade paper inserts for a personal handwritten message. Complete with stickers ("artistically" displayed by the aforementioned preschoolers) colored (or smudged) by Crayola. What was I thinking?! This quick-project-done-in-front-of-the-TV became two nights of intense labor.

Yes, the kids do know it's Jesus' birthday. They know about Santa. And they thoroughly enjoy seeing all the colorful lights out at night. But really, what is the meaning of all this craziness to which we all somehow allow ourselves to succomb? How do my soap, hand-made Christmas notes, freezer dinners, late-night online shopping "excursions" all relate to this season?

I know and yet I don't know.

I've been encouraged by my dear friend Laurie to take these little snowmen books and write a kids' story for my children. Something that will bring meaning of this season down to their level of understanding. Perhaps I can salvage what's left of this month and make it significant and important and not chaotic and trivial.

Well, here's to making the most of this Christmas. I've given up on the salon-quality soaps (although I have a few more "definitely-one-of-a-kind" soaps to make) and who cares if the handmade cards totally look slapped together. I have something more essential to do.

I going to write the story of Christmas for my kids . . . and for me.