So, you've made it to this point with no one discovering what you got them for Christmas...Hooray for you, Mom! Now, you just have to get it all wrapped without the kids interrupting and figuring it all out. If you are anything like me, maybe you used to wrap everything all at once with hubby on Christmas Eve, enjoying a little together time, an old movie, and a glass of hot cider in the wee hours of the morning. Sadly, the days of looking forward to that all-nighter are gone. We are older now and do not bounce back as easily as we once did from an all-too-late-night.
So we move on to Plan B. Plan B is this: Turn on the computer, pull up hulu.com, and let the kids while away an hour or two watching Christmas movies for FREE! Here is a link to Hulu's holiday movie page, with over two dozen holiday film titles on it...ranging from half-hour shows to almost two hour shows. Surely, they will find something on there they would like to watch. There are movies for the older and cartoons for the younger...and maybe even something for Mom to watch while she wraps (on a different computer, of course)!
Fair warning: you will want to scroll through and write down the titles of the shows you approve of, rather than let your kids choose on their own. Mixed in with the usual cute cartoons are Christmas episodes of many of the ridiculously inappropriate sitcoms that are on the air nowadays.
While doing Christmas preparations, I let the kids watch Prep and Landing from Disney (my teen had seen it and said it was okay), and I thought it was cute (I did miss a few minutes in the middle, but what I saw was nice). Late last night when I had a bad migraine, my teen and I watched Snow 1 and Snow 2 (plus, we were up anyway keeping track of the lunar eclipse), and other than a few veiled innuendoes made by the bad guy (which the young lady shot down immediately), those movies were also rather cute. We liked the young man who played St. Nick, and thought the young lady was sweet (at our house Santa is just a nice myth associated with secular Christmas celebrations...I don't mind stories about him any more than I mind ones about an Abominable Snowman or Paul Bunyan). The kids also loved the classic The Little Drummer Boy .
Next time I need some time with no little ones "helping" me and it is too cold to send them outside, we might check out one of these animated classics: O Christmas Tree, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells, Christmas Carol: The Movie, The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas, Santa and the Three Bears, or Santa and Pete (I have not previewed these yet, so I am not actually recommending them, just mentioning they are available).
If it sounds like too much TV to you, understand this has been over an extended period of time, and only as a diversion during sick, extra cold and wet, or overly hectic times for mom (or as a help for the teen who has to babysit while Mom and Dad do last minute shopping!). We've done lots of crafts (handmade ornaments and a complete Jesse Tree set) and baking this year, too, and the kids have made family and friends numerous cards and pictures. We've also attended three Christian Christmas shows as a family, plus hosted a cookie exchange and attended a Christmas Tree decorating party. I just know what a crunch these last few days can sometimes be, so I wanted to share this idea with you...you never know when it might come in handy.
Blessings to you all and a very Merry Christmas!
Heather
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