Christmas means...

Have you ever watched the movie "Babe"?

I mean the talking pig movie....

where the pig is the hero- and the duck is just the annoying animal who 

everyone wishes would just waddle away?

When the duck realizes Christmas is upon them and one of the barn animals are in line for

 the dinner table, 

he quacks out in horror,

"Christmas Means Carnage! Christmas Means CARNAGE!".

This saying has become my boys' and my mantra (joke) as we challenge the city and all the 

shopping 'occupants'

 as of late.

Wow.

Talk about parking animosity, bumper to bumper cars, honking, cart line-ups along 

with the budding in line, 

glares, mutterings, and the quick grabbing of last items off shelves.

(Enter:  The Duck. "Christmas means carnage!")

I almost am embarrassed to call myself human. 

~~

So now, when we're out and about, and yet another person steals the parking spot we have been sitting waiting for WITH our signal light on,

we  yell out, 

"Christmas Means Carnage!"

...and putter down the parking lot for another available spot.

When someone almost takes my car door off as I try to get out, (in their haste to find parking):

"Christmas means Carnage!".

(Little do the boys know it's my half-hearted attempt to 

curb my own hostile retaliation...

Anger Management if you will.)

And then....I return home.

I grab my camera and walk.

And I find little scenes here and there, realizing that no one here

is budding in line 

or jostling in front of me 

or glaring.

Only quiet, little, vacant stares.

(Don't worry- not from my kiddos;)

No carnage here.

Just simple finds.

And the breathing room to remember what Christmas really means.

And once someone quiets the duck- 

we can eat.