The Tale of the Wayward Nativity Set

I realize that it isn't even Advent yet, but our family has a tradition of putting up our Christmas decorations Thanksgiving weekend. They help brighten the cold, dark days of late Fall and early Winter in New England. With rambunctious little children now in our home, our decorations have needed to take on a "safe" quality. Therefore, the nice tree is in the basement where my older children are able to decorate and enjoy it, while we have a rather sad-looking one featuring all unbreakable ornaments on the first floor which the little children still seem determined to destroy.

The same holds true for the nativity sets. There is one fragile one in the basement and two up high on my dining room hutch. Meanwhile, last year, I had purchased a Little People Christmas Story Nativity Scene Playset for the little kids to have. Last Advent and Christmas, those poor Little People suffered indignities that should never be wrought upon a nativity set. They were thrown, chewed on, stuffed under chairs . . . Unfortunately, this year, they do not appear to be doing much better. We have already lost and found Baby Jesus three times. The camel has been placed on top of the set where the angel is supposed to sit. The figures have been carried around in a backpack and stuffed into a pail. It all gives me pain.

But, my older children have been approaching this with a great (if rather irreverent) sense of humor.These were some of the statements heard in my house today:

"Mom, Baby Jesus is lost again. Maybe in this version, King Herod got him after all."

"Mom, the wise men are currently visiting a sheep."

"Mom, Baby Jesus is lost again. I thought Mary didn't lose him until he was twelve."

"Mom, how come Mary keeps losing Jesus? Shouldn't she be keeping track of him. Really, what kind of mother is she?"

"Maybe Mary is still pregnant and that's why Baby Jesus isn't there yet."

Ah, yes, the humor of preteen boys. Although, I have to say, I was laughing, too, while praying to St. Anthony repeatedly to help figure out where Baby Jesus might have traveled to this time. I have a feeling St. Anthony will be hearing a lot from me in the coming month.