Have Yourself a Chaotic Little Christmas

Like any good Christmas, the 2010 Romine family Christmas involved presents, cookies, shepherds, breaking and entering, blood, the ER, stitches, fighting and crying.

So, in keeping with the fading holiday spirit, here is a recap of our holiday to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas:

This year for our Christmas Santa gave to me:

12 dozen cookies
11 Princess Barbies
10 games of Uno
9 lifelike dinosaurs
8 trips to Northpark
7 temper tantrums
6 holiday movies
500 dollar vet bill
4 feline stitches
3 trips to Santa
2 grumpy parents
and 1 amputation of my cat's tail

If I don't have a physical and mental breakdown in the next couple of days, I'll explain later.

(I hope your holidays were merry and bright.)

The Other Christmas Story

Abby attends a Christian day care so this time of year she reads about Jesus, sings about Jesus, colors Jesus, learns the Jesus dance. Like many kids her age, she has a different spin on Jesus' birth.

Apparently Mary and Jovis couldn't get a hotel so they spent the night at Miss Phyllicia's house, and that's where Jesus was born.

The Blog's Honest Truth

One thing about blogs, memoirs, autobiographies ... it is possible - and tempting - to sometimes exaggerate. To lie even.

That said, I am finding my December 'random acts of kindness' initiative harder than I expected. Harder isn't even the right word. Inconvenient maybe. Elusive. Even though I look for opportunities each day, I am finding them few and far between, unless they involve me buying something for a stranger or giving someone food or flowers. My so-called random acts have become very intentional.

I did keep it up until December 11, even though I last blogged about it on December 7. In the last few days I have let an overwhelmed mom with a crying baby in front of me at the grocery store, even though I had one item and she had a full cart. One day I took out my neighbor's garbage cans (and made Sam bring them in). One day I bought coffee and donuts for a homeless man.

I suppose I could've changed my definition of a random act and taken an easier way out - if I simply wouldn't succumb to road rage I would accomplish several kind acts each day - because what I'm finding is that the small interactions count just as much. Saying hello to strangers on an elevator. Smiling at everyone who passes you in the mall. Done and done.

I guess I was looking for more substantial opportunities. Those pay-it-forward moments you just know are going to change someone's day. But I'm not giving up. I don't consider this experiment a failure yet. It has made me aware of those moments when a small interaction - random, anonymous or otherwise - can lift your sprits a bit.

December 6

Another "planned" not-so-random act.

On Monday Sam's church choir sang at a retirement community. I took some boxes of hot chocolate mixes and handed them out to residents and choir teachers.

And like most events that involve the church, hymns, Christmas carols, Sam, youth or old people, I did my best to not sob the entire time. (For the record I also cry during the national anthem, anytime veterans are recognized, when I see members of the Armed Forces, at Sesame Street live, the circus, my kids' Christmas programs ... the list goes on).

As I sat there and listened to the choir sing I watched all the old people in the audience, who seemed so enchanted, and wondered how the meaning and spirit of Christmas changes when you get older. If you don't have family or young people or children, does Christmas become more about whatever religious meaning it holds for you? Do you become bitter or melancholy? Does listening to children sing carols make you happy or sad or wistful?

I know that the meaning and spirit of the holidays is different for me than for my kids. And I think one thing I need to remember, if I get bogged down by to-do lists or weather or commitments, is to celebrate and enjoy the holidays as my kids do. Sure, for them it's about presents. But, even if they can't articulate it, it's the spirit and the frivolity and the family. Even Jake, my little ball of hate, asked me if we were going to have a Christmas like last year. When I asked him what that meant he didn't mention the presents, he mentioned the family.

December 5

On Sunday Jake and Sam both sang during church. Jake's choir is composed of 10 or so wee ones in kindergarten or first grade. I sat in on choir practices this year, and this little choir has come a long way. I truly hope the congregation appreciates what it takes to get them to learn and perform a song.

So today's gift was planned - a Star Wars book for Jake's choir teacher and her son, who performs in the choir and shares Jake's love of Star Wars.

December 4

Between haircuts and music lessons and groceries, I left a poinsettia on a neighbor's porch.

December 3

I don't like the cold so I can't explain why on cold mornings, usually in my pajamas and robe, I love to walk down the driveway and get the newspaper. I like the brisk air, the quiet. I love seeing the Christmas tree from the street. And I love walking back into the house and having the warmth instantly hit you.

So Friday's random act was a little selfish. I quickly ran up and down our side of the street and put my neighbors' newspapers at their front door. Maybe some people don't like that cold walk to get the paper as much as I do.

December 2

Let me start by saying this day's random act of kindness might be to pour myself a glass of Chardonnay before noon. Not the best morning.

I got a phone call from work before 7 a.m.

Jake HATED today's Advent surprise.

I'm still in my pajamas.

I didn't even get Abby to day care.

But I managed a spontaneous and somewhat desperate act ... After using my Starbucks gift card, I handed it and its $10 balance to someone standing at a crosswalk.

He may not like Starbucks but maybe he'll have an interesting story to tell.

December 1

So the kids woke up to their first Advent surprise: stickers. Soon after remembering it was December 1, Jake realized it was the day General Snowball usually arrives so at 6:45 we had a fast hunt through the house for the General. He was perched on the mantle, in between the Christmas carollers, grinning his creepy grin.

Regarding my random acts of kindness ... A couple of thoughts. It is slightly hard to be random and kind when, like me, you don't interact with people. Today made me aware of how few people I actually talk to in a day, outside of my family. Second thought ... I debated whether to keep track of my random acts here. I'm not doing it for an audience, but an audience just might keep my honest.

So here goes ... Today I gave two bags of gently used girls' clothes to one of the teachers at Abby's school. I have to admit, this is not a random act in that I put the bags together earlier in the week; I only had to deliver them. But all was not lost. Later in the day, when I picked Abby up from school, the parking lot was unusually crowded, so much so that I had to park at a meter on the street. I noticed the car in front of me had an expired meter, so random act of kindness ... I added 50 cents to the meter. It wasn't much, but it would've got them past 6 p.m. and maybe out of a ticket.

All in all, a successful day one.