Christmas' Half Birthday

Every summer, when I was growing up, I distinctly remember seeing store commercials on TV advertising a "Christmas in July" sale. This celebration made no logical sense to me and so those commercials always irked me.  Why in July?  It wasn't anywhere near Christmas, the weather wasn't like Christmas, they weren't going to help me get excited for Christmas, and it wasn't even halfway until Christmas!  With my family's tradition of celebrating half birthdays, that part bothered me the most.  Christstmas' half birthdays was in JUNE people!  JUNE 25th is halfway to Christmas!

Now that I am continuing to give half birthdays some airtime in my own family, I've decided to celebrate "Christmas in June" right where it belongs- ON JUNE 25th!  

I shared my idea with Nolan, Judah, and Carter. My boys were completely unsurprised, but still very excited, to be presented with yet another theme day or adventure, and they couldn't wait to help me plan how we might celebrate Chrstimas' half birthday!

Here is the list of ALL the things they thought we could do:



Most of these do actually fit with how we spend our Christmas, including the Cornell playground.  The two Christmases we've spent at our new house, we've went and played at the closest elementary school on Christmas Eve.  Two years ago, it was warm enough out to walk there. 

So, we woke up on the morning of our Christmas in June and tried to knock out as many of these as possible- we had an awesome day! 

The favorite highlights were listening to Christmas music all day, decorating Christmas cookies, and watching "Elf" as a family before bedtime. 



The daily grind of parenting can be mundane sometimes- I often feel like I spend most (or all) of my day diapering, pottying, making meals, eating meals, or trying to get people to actually EAT the meals.  A colleague once told me, early in my parenting, that the days are long and the years are short with your kids.  I now believe that's one of the wisest things I've ever been told (Thanks, Shannon!).  

Sometimes I look at my watch and can't believe how many hours my kids have already been up (Nolan and Judah were deer watching out a window into the backyard this morning at 6:30 am) or how far it is away from bedtime (how am I possibly going to entertain these troops for another three hours?!).  

Then, the next thing I know, I am completely dumbfounded that I have two four-year-olds and a two-year-old because I just took them home from the hospital a minute ago.

Even though the days may seem long at times, I know how fast all of this, my life with little humans, is flying.  That's why, through all those routine-type activities, I've tried to condition myself to look for and capitalize on opportunities for a little something weird, different, strange, or exciting to sprinkle into our days together at home.  Events that can hopefully start traditions or make memories my boys will always have in their hearts.    

Creating some out-of-the-ordinary days or experiences are one of my most favorite things to do!  I hope as my boys grow, they continue to love adventures, explorations, and taking opportunities to make the mundane and light it up with joy as much as they do right now.  

Next year, on June 25th, we will certainly celebrate Chtistmas' half birthday again.  I'll be grateful to give an encore performance and grateful for another opportunity to make memories with my boys.  

<3 


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