The most wonderful time of the year.

The following took place Tuesday, December 10th in the home of Nathan and Kendra Corrona.  It was a stunning display of holiday cheer.

4:00pm Girls are home from school.  No homework. Everybody is excited about the prospects of the evening.

4:15pm Nate and I decide it is the perfect time to get the Christmas tree (he had been out of town so we had yet to purchase one and the pickings were getting slim.)  Children jump and shout at the news. There was even a squeal or two.  It was decided we would leave in 15 minutes.

4:20pm Nate and I begin rearranging the furniture to make room for the tree.  For 5 of the 6 years we have been in this house it has gone by the front window. This seems to be the best place for it again this year and so room is being made for the tree.  Cue Zaine.

4:25pm Zaine enters room and is instantly horrified about where we are putting the tree.  We cannot put the tree there.  Tears. She doesnt want the tree there. More tears. Doesn't her opinion matter? Cue sobs. Zaine throws herself dramatically on the couch, overcome by our lack of understanding.

4:27pm Zaine is sent to her room to gain some self control and perspective.  Sobs are heard coming from her bedroom along with a pretty impressive conversation with herself on how Christmas has been ruined. In the end she successfully convinces herself she is right, the placement of the tree has brought an end to all Christmas joy.  More sobs as she realizes it is all her parents' fault, and she is doomed to live at least 11 more years in a house with adults who havent a clue about the important things in life like the demands of a 7 year old.

4:35pm Cue Lux.  She decides this is the perfect time to discuss the most important thing on her 10 year old mind, the 5th grade chorus singing at the Gladiators hockey game. Discussion ends when she reaches the same conclusion as her sister, she is doomed to live at least 8 more years in a house with adults who have no idea what it is like to be a kid. All they care about is doing things together as a family.  Oh, and these same parents like her sister better than her, and she knows it.

Nate and I begin to wonder where we went wrong..

4:45pm Zaine's return.  She is no longer sobbing. She surveys the room and declares with a deep breath that she will be opening her Christmas presents elsewhere because it is physically impossible for her to be in the same room with the tree in that spot.  She loves us and wants to be with us, but we have made our decision and she sees it is useless to continue trying to convince us otherwise.  So with that, can she please have a snack?

5:00pm a disheveled, tear stained, mess of Corronas load into the van in an attempt to salvage what is left of the evening and get the stupid tree. Nate's joy is evident in his herky jerky driving and lack of ability to find a single station playing Christmas music, though he continues to try.  Lux is getting in the spirit by painting her nails and sulking, and I am fulfilling my duties as the backseat driver, offering Nate my opinions on the best route to take thru traffic to Lowes. Lux realizes we are going to Lowes. From backseat, "Are we seriously getting out tree at Lowes?"

Nate has had it, pulls car over and institutes a $1.00 fine for any complaining here on out. He is thoroughly disappointed in our children's behavior.  We are trying to raise grateful kids who think of others before themselves. Not complainers who are dissatisfied with anything that doesnt go their way. Zaine, clearly not understanding what constitutes as complaining, complains, "Can we just go now?" I snort. Lux points out that that was obviously a complaint and Zaine should be fined. Zaine adamantly declares she has no idea what she said wrong. Thus begins a detailed discussion on what counts as complaining from now on.

5:15pm we arrive at Lowes high on fingernail polish fumes. Lux asks me to hang back so we can continue discussing Nate's and my lack of understanding about her Gladiator needs and the $1.00 fine for complaining. I try to lighten things up by pointing out that the guy loading trees on cars happens to look a lot like Santa. "That's not Santa," she deadpans back to me. Zaine, on the other hand, is fascinated at the prospect of Santa loading our tree, and skips merrily ahead to march in with dad. She's excited.  Every tree is to her a "must have."

Fun times at Lowes

5:30pm tree is found, Lux and I head to van to pull it around.  Santa will be loading our tree, but he appears to be a bit too thorough.  Santa takes for ever. Not sure if he is checking to see who's naughty or nice, or just getting slow in his old age. At one point Santa cuts the rope and starts over. Santa needs to stick with his day job.

5:50pm we are home. Time for the annual "where is the tree stand?" hunt.  Stand is found on high shelf in garage.

6:15pm Im on my belly tightening tree stand screws and barking out directions to Nate, who is holding the tree. I decide I am getting too old for this sort of thing. Tree seems secure and I emerge from the pine needles to start dinner.

6:20pm Zaine is crying for help.  We find her in the living room holding the tree that has fallen on her. Tree was not secure. Zaine is uninjured but shaken and impressed with her skills for catching a falling tree. This time Nate goes under while I take direction. Tree is officially secure.

6:30pm dinner

7:30pm Happy Nate has officially left the building.  Though he valiantly tried, he has never recovered from the drama that took place earlier in the evening. Plus he seems to be getting a cold. Nate lays on couch with blanket. This will be his contribution to tree decorating and the rest of the evening.

7:40pm Christmas music is on.  Nate is lying on couch with blanket.  Lux is painting her nails (again?). Zaine, my biggest fan and right hand girl, is determined to help me get lights on the tree. Me? I am secretly plotting in my heart how to pay Nate back for bailing on me....

7:50pm Lux decides to join us. Girls begin bickering about how to hang bulbs.  First bulb is broken.

7:55pm Zaine begins doing gymnastics over couch.

8:00pm Someone realizes it is time for Survivor. Nate suddenly awakens. Music stops and tv is on. I continue decorating the tree alone to the holiday sounds of Survivor's theme music.

8:30pm I give in and join the family on the couch.  Another successful Corrona tree trimming ceremony comes to an end.

9:00pm girls head to bed. I finally relax on couch with Nate.

9:15pm Zaine is back. Her stomach hurts. She thinks she might throw up. She is crying. Im up and moving. Lux appears. Do we want to hear her 50 facts about herself she just created? Not a great time. Please go to bed, Zaine doesnt feel well. Lux is convinced once again that we like Zaine better. Why dont we want to hear her 50 facts? Nate feigns sleep.

9:30pm Zaine is in my bed with a bowl.  Lux has gone to bed angry with me.  Nate hasn't spoken since 8:30 and is still asleep? on the couch.  I am exhausted.  Christmas memories made.

What a strange and lovely thing it is to be a family.

I am a hermit crab.

We have these two hermit crabs that the girls just had to have. We got them just after school started and I think the girls loved them for about 2 1/2 days before forgetting about them entirely.  Between the cost of the crabs, the appropriate tank, the special hermit crab sand, etc, i think i spent over $40 for them. For crabs that no one pays attention to.  Except me.  Yes, I have become the designated hermit crab caretaker.  And this is my own fault.  Because I actually care more for the crabs than the rest of the family.  I have concern for their well being.  I have been completely sucked into the hermit crab world.
Part of my morning routine is to feed the cats, (the stray cats that live under our porch...the cats that continue having kittens because I keep feeding them and their kittens...the cats that i pretend are not ours but I build winter shelters for to shield them from the cold...the cats we have affectionately named Mommacat, Tinsel, Baby Boy, Cottonball, and Daddycat. Im beginning to see a pattern here with the cats and hermit crabs...), feed the kids, and then tend to the hermit crabs.  By "tend to" I mean remove the protective towels that I cover their shelter with during the cold nights to keep help keep them warm, and turn on the 40w lamp the pet store guy said they needed.  Nate is both fascinated and dumbfounded by this.  I think he wonders what he got himself into marrying me.  Well, I wonder the same thing when he goes weeks without putting the toilet paper roll on the spinner and just leaves it in odd spots around the bathroom.  I mean, you are sitting right beside the thing! Im both fascinated and dumbfounded by this. These are the things that keep a marriage interesting, my friends.

So yesterday was the day I had to change out the hermit crab sand, food, and water.  This is pretty exciting because we never see the hermit crabs move.  They never move.  Unless they are put in a new environment in which case they desperately drag those shells around searching for a new place to hide. And they were up to their usual antics, walking circles around the edge of the container searching for a way out.  I think Zaine peeked in on them once and asked "Are they still alive?" And Lux looked up from the iPad long enough to acknowledge their existence. And it was in that moment that it occurred to me, "I am a hermit crab."

Ok, Im not really a hermit crab. But I totally relate to them on a human to crab level. I am an introvert.  I, too, am cozy and comfortable in my little spot in this world until something big changes things up and I am stuck desperately clawing at the walls, dragging my big, clunky mess of baggage along behind me as I search for a way out of this new situation.  I, too, prefer to stay hidden under the safety of the plastic leaves suction cupped to the wall of my existence.  I, too, often live in fear of all that is out there in the world beyond my safety zone, and tentatively peek my tiny eyeballs cautiously out from under my shell.

But I am also like the hermit crabs (stay with me...) in that I have a great big God who is making the sun shine every morning, and tucking me in each night.  He's shaking things up when I need to stretch myself out of my shell, and He has always provided for my every need.  That great big hand in the sky that reaches down and lifts me out of my comfort zone to challenge me to move.  So I will move, even if it is with reluctance and sometimes with fear, I will move.  Because He sees beyond my 4 walls, and He does these things because He cares.