An Emotional Wreck

I am sort of an emotional wreck right now.  I seriously can't get through a Christmas movie without tears.  We watched Miracle on 34th Street the other night, and even though every year I have moved a little closer and closer to the anti-Santa side of life (thank you Luke), I still got choked up! The music video shown during the credits of the most recent Veggie Tales movie had me literally bawling.  It showed a montage of kids opening shoeboxes full of Christmas presents, and they were so happy and thankful.  I'm getting a lump in my throat just thinking about it.  Even the Dora Holiday special got me going.  It's a little crazy, I know.  


Anyway, this emotional side of me during the holidays is nothing new.  This always happens to me at this time of year.  As a mom with four young kids and a wonderful husband, a beautiful home, and loving family and friends, I feel so incredibly blessed and fortunate.  I love the sparkle, the beauty, the hope that seems to just float in the air during the Christmas season.  It's like God has sprinkled just a little bit of extra love in the air, and we get blessed just be breathing it all in.  


Today, I had to go to the grocery store in the late afternoon, a horrible time, truly, to go anywhere with a couple of my kids, let alone all four.  I had to go, though, since we were having dinner guests, and I was all out of chicken breasts, orzo, milk, eggs....ok, I won't tell you my entire grocery list.  Anyway,  I loaded up the kids in the sweet mini, and we drove over, singing Mickey's Christmas carols all the way.  My family's new favorite song?  Pluto singing, or should I say, barking O Christmas Tree.  We got out, and the kids linked hands, and we walked in.  I almost cried when I saw them with their hands grasped together in the parking lot, people!  Somebody help me here!  


J.D. requested the single shopping cart seat, and the girls were only too happy to let him have it.  They wanted to have free rein in the store, which J.D. later regretted, I'll have you know.  Anyway, the girls danced and played their way through the store, only intermittently helping with the actual grocery shopping.  I always have at least one person ask me if they are all my kids.  And I almost always have a person tell me that they are shocked that I take all four out with me shopping.  Is it because of their behavior? I don't worry myself with that, I just smile and say, "Yep!  They're my best helpers!"  


Towards the end of our grocery store journey, the kids all took a ride on the cart.  That was one heavy cart to push, I'll tell you that much!  But I didn't mind.  I was pushing my greatest, most immeasurable treasures.  Today, the check-out lady asked me all about the twins.  She was pregnant with a baby girl, and had always wanted twins.  I always feel obligated to play up how difficult it was in the beginning with the twins, how we barely made it, how those long nights and days with four kids under age three will forever be etched in my mind.  But I don't need to do that anymore.  The twins are three and a half now, and they have grown into happy, healthy, active little children. I couldn't have asked for a bigger or better blessing than this.  


See?  Now this blog didn't help my emotional state at all!  I am a wreck, I tell you, a sniveling wreck!  O.k., I've got to put a stop to this.  Maybe it would help me to remember the Sharpie incident on the tile floor by Gigi. Or perhaps the shovel full of dirt in J.D.'s bed, placed there by, oh you already know the answer to that, surely.  Or maybe the I'm-so-tired-I'm-going-to-throw-a-fit-tantrum-at-bedtime by Cubby.  Ok.  Tears are all gone.  See? They're not angels, but they make my life so sweet, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Happy tears, I mean trails to you!