A Christmas Worth Remembering

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It happens to everyone. Christmas decorations to put up, cards to mail, gifts to purchase and wrap. Then there are the gift exchanges, cookies exchanges PLUS the kids school, church programs, PLUS the regular sports activities, lessons, etc. I'm tired just typing that out. Throw in a traumatized child and you have the recipe for disaster.

As my kids are healing holidays are no longer a problem. This was definitely not true when they were younger. We simplified, simplified, simplified. I did not play Christmas music. We did not talk about Christmas. We kept the running to a minimum and did not put out presents until the night of our gift opening. Christmas (and pretty much all holidays but maybe Columbus Day)  set off triggers for our boys behavior big time. School was a night mare right before Christmas so there were often calls from the principal about behavior.  All kids are excited and on edge right before Christmas. My boys would feed off that energy and take it about two levels higher.  It is what trauma does to a child's brain. All strong emotion was sent right to the fight/flight/freeze are where panic would set in.

I do really have a point here. This year we are focusing on having a Christmas worth remembering. We are staying in budget. We sent out a Thanksgiving letter instead a Christmas letter, which may do from here on out! We do stockings at our house and I think those are so much fun. I love finding little personal things to stick in them.. This year, at the challenge of our pastor, we are giving one gift worth remembering...Do you remember your gifts from last year?  I am putting one thing in each persons stocking that is an activity to do with me. I bought a paper back book for our oldest daughter who is married and away from home. I bought the same book for me. We will read it together even though apart and talk about it.  Taz loves to bake. I found a small cookbook called 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix and I will ask him if at least part of the time, he will ask me to bake with him.  I bought Teddy an origami set and will ask him the same, to ask me to make some of them with him.  I am getting a craft kit for Dancer and am still contemplating for Fish and Hubby. I will know when I see the right thing.

Is this a Christmas worth remembering for you? I hope so.