2007-12-14

This year, I knew I had to get everything done by Dec 15th. I'd like to say I planned carefully and did something magical, but in reality all I can say is I started early. I'm close to done and I'm not really stressed. I've had some moments. I've had some Oh fuck you merry Christmas moments, but really, nothing like years past. And I've been trying to figure out why. Why this year, do I feel so relaxed? I have no answers, other than to say that I've been trying to do a little bit every day, and every time something starts to overwhelm me, I stop. So yes, it took me two weeks to get the christmas cards done, it took me 10 days to make all the goodies for the teachers and friends I mail stuff to. And yes, I dropped some plans. But I've never ever had a more relaxed Christmas season.

MIL was even joking that I had a Christmas plan. Maybe I do, today I want to get at least 4 presents wrapped (I think I have between 8-10 left to wrap), and I'm only promising four because I've found more than that, and I start to get irritated. I can't be out in the world for really more than one errand these days, so I limit that too. For the most part, I've been trying to enjoy the wonder that is Christmas for a four year old. We've been to Santa (where prompted by husband Amy asked for exactly what santa is bringing her), we've been sledding with the requisite coca afterwards. We're probably going to do some driving by Christmas lights, and we will be seeing a live nativity (maybe participating), and visiting family. Really not a checklist, but just taking things as they come. And amazingly it is working.

I told husband that next year he is NOT going to MLA, between school schedules and travel, we would have no time for visiting family. He assures me that MLA is being moved to January. We've agreed to table the discussion until later, when we know more stuff. But seriously, if he goes to San Francisco Dec 27-30, he's missing family Christmas, I'm not working around it--you have that here in writing.

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