{"id":4800,"date":"2013-03-19T19:36:00","date_gmt":"2013-03-19T23:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oshetablogs.wordpress.com\/2013\/03\/19\/flippin-the-script-and-holdin-it-down-for-the-holidays"},"modified":"2013-03-19T19:36:00","modified_gmt":"2013-03-19T23:36:00","slug":"flippin-the-script-and-holdin-it-down-for-the-holidays-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shalominthecity\/2013\/03\/flippin-the-script-and-holdin-it-down-for-the-holidays-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Flippin’ the Script and Holdin’ It Down for The Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Today I read a hilarious post at\u00a0Rage Against The Minivan<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on holidays. Kristen\u2019s candid storytelling and super smart sarcasm left me breathless from belly laughs and nodding my head emphatically.\u00a0 Being a mom of school-aged kids in this hyper holiday atmosphere is cray-cray.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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This school year alone, I made two sets of 100 days projects.\u00a0 Which isn\u2019t as simple as mod-podging 100 little items to a hat (oh I wish), but sitting with each child, coming up with an idea, and then executing said idea.\u00a0 I\u2019d suggest something simple like 100 stars in the sky and they\u2019d want 100 shooting stars coming off the poster board to explode candy into the outstretched arms of their friends.\u00a0Uh\u2026no! Those crunchy moms will come for me. Pelting me with\u00a0Larabars<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and quoting the latest findings on high fructose corn syrup.<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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I\u2019d suggest 100 stickers of balls in a closet: 2 poster boards, one rectangle door cut out and folded, inside the fold are the balls!\u00a0\u00a0Awesome, perfect, go on mom with your bad crafty self<\/i>.\u00a0 <\/span>No, they wanted actual balls made from Styrofoam, decorated with finger paint, and glued in an actual closet made from a shoe box.\u00a0Um\u2026Scandal comes on tonight so\u2026no.\u00a0<\/i><\/span>

We settled on the stickers. Trinity 100 flowers, TJ 100 dinosaurs. \u00a0Crunchy moms still smile at me at pick up and I\u2019m all caught up on Scandal. Yes!<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Shortly after 100 Days, I helped my kids design outfits as their favorite book characters to celebrate Read Ac<\/span>ross America Day.\u00a0 We threw together a fanciful leggings and sparkly top ensembl\u00e9, slapped on a little lip-gloss, and Trinity was good to go as \u201cFancy Nancy\u201d. This is in addition to art shows, concerts, and classroom celebrations for this holiday or that value.\u00a0 I have a closet full, full I tell you, of crafts and coloring pages from their school projects piled atop the shoebox Bible scenes, and (sadly) family fridge devotional strips from Sunday School.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Overwhelmed with kiddo creative crap, \u00a0I totally get where Kristen is coming from.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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I can\u2019t imagine how moms who work outside the home, with bosses who aren\u2019t their husbands, and vocations that aren\u2019t \u201cfor the Lord\u201d manage.\u00a0 At least in my situation, there are several levels of forbearance. I mean first, \u00a0it\u2019s my husband, who on most occasions values not releasing the Kraken of angry, black wife that\u2019s lurking, just waiting for those words, \u201cwhat have you been doing all day?\u201d. \u00a0And then there\u2019s\u2026.Jesus\u2026you know the guy who coined the phrase, \u201cseventy-time seven\u201d, so eh\u2026 if I miss a deadline (or two) I\u00a0 can say it was all \u201cfor the children\u201d and grace abounds.<\/span><\/div>\n
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So, I completely agreed with Kristen, things are getting out of hand.\u00a0 I was about to issue the ultimate blogging fist-bump and actually comment on her post until she wrote:<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cBut I can\u2019t do this alone. Fellow parents . . . teachers . . . sunday school workers . . . I beseech you. BRING IT DOWN A NOTCH.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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(record scratch)<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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Hold up, wait a minute, let me put some Mod-Podge in it!<\/span><\/div>\n

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Yeah, it\u2019s hard coat Mod-Podge! That\u2019s how I roll.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

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You mean, temper the creativity of these teachers who make school and church fun for our kids?\u00a0 You mean, ask the class moms who are bad-a**es with glue guns, to put them down as conscientious objectors for the craft-impaired.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Really?!?<\/span>\n
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You do realize the wonder-filled stories of mythical beings, the colorful gift-filled calendars leading up to Christmas, the valentine cards, the poster board of 100 things, dressing up like their favorite character, or whatever fantastic tradition that shows up on Pinterest all serve a purpose, right?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

Sure they can annoy us, but they\u2019re actually quite wonderful, not to be tempered or tamed. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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They create joy!\u00a0 Celebration. They activate our children\u2019s imagination and all around make life awesome. \u00a0These brain children of Pinterest Penny teachers and moms create space for whimsy and wonder to freely play.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Why ya wanna bring that down? \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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But I get it.\u00a0 It\u2019s overwhelming.\u00a0 Some days I want to evil eye the teacher when my daughter runs to me and says, \u00a0\u201cmom, I\u2019ve got notices!\u201d School-code, for \u201cthere be glitter in your future\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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So just do what I do.\u00a0 When I\u2019m drowning under the holiday expectations, I figure out how to \u201cflip the script\u201d for my benefit.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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You want me to hide chocolate gold coins for St. Paddy\u2019s Day?\u00a0 Fo \u2018sho. \u00a0Go on and hunt!\u00a0 While you\u2019re coming down off that sugar high let me tell you about workers in a field who came in at different points of the day, but received the same payment in coins from the owner. No, that isn\u2019t unfair! \u00a0Generosity and equality for all people\u2026that\u2019s what\u2019s fair.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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How does a gift a day leading up to the biggest kid cash in of the year teach you to be generous givers like God? It doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 How about we give instead of get something every day for our advent calendar? Give cards, give words of encouragement, give cookies, give time\u2014give every day to pull up selfishness so that selflessness can grow.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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Why prey-tell, do we need a flexible, magical, \u00a0somewhat creepy elf hanging from the rafters to encourage us to behave? Guess what guys? We don\u2019t. There\u2019s a way less creepy option\u2014the Holy Spirit. Fancy that? Help to act right without a peeping Tom in red and white.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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Wait, you want to give whole bags of candy to each student in your class for Valentines (St. Patricks, Hug a Friend, Peace, Yay for Whatever Day)?\u00a0 Remember the crunchy mamas?<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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You see, The Pinterest Pennys will always be with us. We can\u2019t avoid them.\u00a0 They\u2019ll always be thinking of the next way to use that glue gun or new tactic to bring their favorite value home. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

I know that because I am a Pinterest Penny.<\/span><\/div>\n
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I get why these woman make up fantastic stories, assemble beautiful crafts, and send creative themed bento boxes for lunch.\u00a0 They\u2019re activating their God-given creativity to make life joyful.\u00a0 As we all know there is only so much mama\/teacher rat race we can take.\u00a0<\/span>

<\/span>Would you begrudge a creative woman her coping mechanism?<\/span><\/div>\n
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I, for one, need the excitement of a 100-Day of school or Read Across America. With one \u201choliday\u201d, all of a sudden fun is infused into the monotony of bath-time, required reading, math facts, and chores! The times I get to sit down with my kids and focus in on them are bright lights as we drudge through ordinary. \u00a0When\u00a0<\/span>our are hands covered in sticky Mod-Podge or we\u2019re<\/span>\u00a0heading off on some \u201cgrand\u201d adventure beauty is born, bonds are forged, and I\u2019m reminded why I love my kids.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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So, while I \u2018aint got time for the comparison game that Pinterest inspired celebrations can become, I\u2019ve got time to cheer on a fellow Penny for her creativity. \u00a0I\u2019ve even got time for glue guns and glitter, time to flip that script to make a better citizen of the world, and time to de-escalate the tantrums of a selfish child who\u2019s learning that we celebrate for community and not consumerism.<\/span><\/div>\n
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I\u2019ve got time for fun. \u00a0So, let\u2019s take that up a notch!<\/span>

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Today I read a hilarious post at\u00a0Rage Against The Minivan\u00a0on holidays. 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