It’s that time again. The occasion when I gather my wits about me, along the candy wrappers from my stocking loot I’m still consuming, and open my mind and laptop. I sift through my sugar haze and recall what I’ve learned over Christmas break.

Mind you, none of these lessons are necessarily life altering, but I believe moments and lessons don’t have to be ultra important in order to be noteworthy. Sometimes I simply like to record and remember what life was like during a specific stage and season. I’ve done this for several years.

And so now I present to you…

19 Things I Learned Over Christmas Break 2019

The more cups of coffee I consume while decorating my house for Christmas, the more strands of lights I hang inside.

 

If you have a Costco membership, your husband may put 40 pens in your stocking.

 

Birds of a feather flock together. This is also true for The Andy Griffith Show fans. Sometimes New Year’s Eve “partying” looks like a ruckus game of Mayberry Trivia. This was on purpose.

 

Giving your children gift certificates for Christmas entitling them to one 24-hour period over Christmas break when they could watch unlimited tv, play unlimited video games, and have no bedtime is a big hit. It also leads to weakened brain cells and immune systems.

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Strep throat is content to spend time with my children and stays longer than one 24-hour period.

 

When the family is sick, it might just be a good time to try the 7-day free trial of Disney+. What was that we said about unlimited tv? Yes, Mom and Dad can use your gift certificate too.

 

Disney movies you enjoyed as a child will not necessarily translate and hold up to your children today.

 

Home Alone will.

 

No one is actually good at bowling. This does not stop anyone.

 

Sometimes you take a risk and give a gift you’re not sure will be well-received.

 

Sometimes the gifts you aren’t sure will be well-received turn out to be some favorites.

 

If your child has a megaphone, she’s probably going to use it wake you and your husband up on Christmas morning.

 

If you’re so far into break you don’t know what day it is or what time it is you’re doing it correctly.

 

Finding out it’s the time you usually go to bed, and you just finished a Coke-in-a-bottle, you find that caffeine does indeed keep you awake.

 

Nothing brings out inner Divas like a pink karaoke machine. My daughters enjoy it too.

 

You can teach a new dog old tricks: a 9-year-old can be thrilled with the gift of a used, broken, rotary phone.

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You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, even if you give them the lyrics and a microphone. (See #5).

 

My son is a member of the “I need longer pants each month” club. I’m thinking about joining the “I need wider pants each month club.”

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Sometimes clichés are just that. Cliché. But “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” holds up better than Home Alone.