Man About Menifee: Christmas Time is Family Time

By David Baker

This week has been a busy one for our brood. Lately, I am starting to see some truth to the cliché that in the all the hubub of the business end of Christmas, we have to actively seek out the spirit of the season. One of the things this means to me is to celebrate all my kids equally.

My youngest son, Joshuah, was born like many babies, a little cue ball. He was as bald as it gets. All of my kids were that way. My daughter didn’t have any significant hair until she was almost 2. For a while, Jennifer and I have been joking about Joshuah’s baby mullet. He was baby up front, party in the back.

Finally, we decided his hair was overall long enough that we deemed a haircut appropriate. We wanted to take Christmas pictures without him looking like a ragamuffin, so we took him to get his first haircut on Thursday. He did surprisingly well -- not a tear or a shriek in sight.

Jeremiah and Alexandra are both in a Christmas Pageant at church. I love our youth program because they always come up with fresh new ideas for the various Holiday Pageants. This year the play is called an “Out of the Box Christmas”.

The play is about a cast of characters in a Christmas Play that receives the wrong costumes, so instead of Angels, they get Cheerleaders and instead of the Archangel Gabriel, they have to make do with a super hero called “Super G”. The moral of the story is really that it’s the thought that counts, actions speak louder than words, and if life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
The kids had a play practice on Wednesday and they seem just about ready. Like many parents, I love to see my kids strut their stuff. It brings me great joy that they have this creative outlet.

This weekend is looking like it is going to be just as busy with the business side of Christmas once again. We have a last -inute play practice Saturday, followed by Christmas Caroling with Girl Scout troop 40550 of Menifee, and possibly some Christmas shopping. On Sunday is the kids’ play, and after that the toy drive for Menifee Christmas Dinner across from Menifee Marketplace on Haun Road.

This is our family’s first year volunteering for this organization but I intend to do my best to educate my kids that Christmas has more meaning than just the big guy in the red suit bearing gifts. That part is fun, but it is better to give than receive.

This year what are some of the little moments you intend to treasure with each other? Post your comments in the section below.

David Baker, our Man About Menifee, writes about his adventures in and around town every week in this space. You may leave comments for him here or email him at manaboutmenifee@gmail.com.





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