The holidays are a time filled with wonderful, precious memories of being with family and friends, reminiscing about holidays past and enjoying one another’s company.
Experiencing the joy of the season through the eyes of children is a wondrous thing. For kids, there is no more magical time of the year, as the days until Christmas arrive seem to drag painfully slow. No other time of year can you ask a child the date and have them give a succinct answer without hesitation.
At least that is the case in our household. Having a conversation with my wife the other night, while sitting at the dining room table, I asked what the date was. It was bill-paying time and I was trying to determine which bills needed to be paid, based on what the date was.
Without missing a beat, our 8-year-old chimes in from the next room, “It’s Dec. 6” and then adds “there are only 19 more days until Christmas.”
Any other time, I could ask my child what day it was, and more often than not I would get a puzzled look on her face and a simple “I dunno,” but not at Christmas.
Holiday fever has been in our house for the last few weeks now. It all starts when the advent calendar comes out of the storage bin in the basement, signifying the countdown to Christmas. Every morning, we hear the rumble of feet heading down the stairs to move the little snowman over one square, signifying how many days remain.
It used to be a foot race between our two children to see which one would make it down the stairs first to change the calendar. Now that our oldest is 11, though, those days are long gone. With her, it is a constant struggle to simply get her out of bed in the morning. I thought that behavior was reserved for teenagers, but apparently things start earlier these days.
To illustrate this point, when I picked my daughter up from school on Friday afternoon, I asked her if she was happy it was the weekend. That is when I was informed that it was “the worst weekend ever.”
Why is this, I asked? Because she was not able to sleep in because of cheering and church choir practices at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Oh the travesty!
I wonder if the same behavior will happen on Christmas? Will the oldest forego rushing down the stairs to open presents in favor of staying snug and warm in her bed? Probably not, at least not for a few more years.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect that of the newspaper. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281.
