Jesus is the reason...Santa gets the credit...Mom does all the work!

Seeing Christmas through the eyes of my children is more amazing to me than experiencing Christmas as a child myself.  I love their anticipation of Christmas morning.  I love that they re-count how many days are left until Christmas each day they open a box on the advent calendar.  I love that the first thing they want to do in the morning is see where the Elf has moved.  I love that they add magic glitter to the reindeer food.  And most importantly, I love that my 7, 5, and 3 year old know that the ONLY reason there is a Christmas is because of the birth of our Lord Jesus and the only reason we get presents from Santa is because Jesus is in heaven and doesn't get his own birthday presents so we get to reap that reward.

All that amazingness aside, am I the only MOM that...

• HATES having to remember to move the Elf, having to come up with a reason why the Elf didn't move when I forget (which seems to be more times than I remember), and having to come up with new places for him to be so my kids don't say, "he was just there 2 days ago"?
• Has found out that half of the items I've been stock piling are now no longer wanted by my children and they want totally different things now?  If I hear my 3 year old say, "I want that" to every commercial she sees I just might hit the bottle!
• Has removed wrapped presents from under the tree and told my kid that I would return them all to the store unless he started behaving?
• Who's eyes glaze over during school "Holiday" parties?
• Has a teacher that didn't deserve the optional, yet mandatory, Christmas present? 
• Spent too much time stressing over Christmas cards and advent letters only to send them to people who didn't send one to you and run out before you could send them to the people that actually did give you a card?  By the way, I am voting on the WORST Christmas Card I've received.  Can we say, Awkward Family Christmas Card?
• Just doesn't understand why people bring hideous Dirty Santa gifts?  Do people think that because it's an anonymous gift exchange it gives you a pass to regift the awful presents you got last year?  Don't judge me when I steal my own gift back because I actually brought something I would like to receive, not to unload.
• Is an idiot for not creating the website for "Ugly Christmas Sweaters" that apparently is paying for this woman's kids' college educations due to all the "Ugly Christmas Sweater" Christmas parties. Dang girl!

And don't get me started on the hour I stood in line for Santa (which was relatively short since I checked my kids out of school early to avoid longer lines) only to over pay for a picture that all my kids weren't smiling for anyway; and for the hour and a half I spent in line for a light festival in our town that is EXACTLY the same every year.  Really?!  Thank goodness all my out of town family has now seen them and we are officially done with that waste of time.

Chime in if you have some more things you are wondering if you are the only mom experiencing this holiday season....

Until next time, Merry Christmas and enjoy putting together all the items that Santa will get credit for!