Although this book offers a humorous view of the last minute details of Christmas, it is one we had hoped not to emulate, particularly the part about being sick in bed.
During our extended family celebration on the night before the night before the night before Christmas (otherwise known as December 22nd) Sarah began to run a high fever. Most of Sunday was spent with both Sarah and I coughing and sneezing on the couch instead of attending morning church or the Candlelight Service, which is my favorite activity of the season. For the first time in memory I did not participate in Country Santa in any manner on Christmas Eve. Instead, I took Sarah to the doctor to discover she had bronchitis.
Cold rain, no church, no Country Santa, no sleep and a sick child did not put me in the Christmas spirit. It wasn't until my parents and sister arrived later in the evening and we lit the Advent wreath Max made at church that I was able to put aside my own selfish pouting and reflect on the beauty of the Light of the World. It is as evident in my kitchen and in the hearts of my family as it is in any cathedral.
We closed the children's Christmas Eve with our traditional reading of The Night Before Christmas and the nativity story from the Bible (and a few extra stories from our reading list!)
Sarah got distracted from the book by the cookies for Santa. Apparently her illness wasn't enough to keep her away from sugar at bedtime!
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| She insisted on wearing this Santa hat ("Mine!") throughout the season. |
"And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose."
"But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!"
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