It's been a rough month.
Today is not the day to elaborate, what with the Christmas Eve business and all. Next week, I'll come back here and share some of what's been going on.
But when you have kids and you're Christmas people, and it's The MOST WONDERFUL Time of the Year, there's not a whole lot of time for sitting around and moping. You make the month as special as you can muster up the energy for. You buy the tree, you visit Santa, you bake the cookies, decorate the house, read the holiday stories, watch the specials on television, and hope like hell that your kids don't notice that you can't wait until this hellacious month is over.
I've never liked December. It's the annual Holiday Spreadsheet of Debt. The non-stop shopping and spending. The fake cheer. The massive commercialism. The buying of gifts people neither want nor need. The annoying Facebook updates from friends who LOVE Christmas and like to tell everyone exactly how much they love it, and how storybook their lives are day in and day out for the entire month.
Honestly, as soon as the calendar flips to December, I am looking forward to January. At least it's okay to be cynical and moody in January.
At the beginning of the month, we bought a tree.
I started the annual Advent Calendar ritual, which was a great idea when there was only Isabella, but is now a pain in the keister with three kids. 25 mini "presents" each, for every single day from December 1st to the 31st. I've taken to filling their calendars' drawers with Cheerios each morning.
Hey, "austerity" isn't the Word of the Year for nothing.
Isabella and I went to my MIL's company's "Lunch with Santa," where I witnessed her getting inked by an old lady in a Christmas sweater vest.
Fortunately, the results were professional.
Another visit with Santa was attempted.
And then there was baking, frosting, and decorating of cookies and of gingerbread train (minus the baking).
Isabella decorated a little over two dozen cookies. What was over last year in about 20 minutes took her two hours this year. She quite literally decorated them, putting non-pareil "ornaments" on the tree cutouts, faces on the snowmen cutouts, etc. Oddly, she asked to eat none of them. It was all about the process for her.
Then it was on to the gingerbread train, on which she spent another hour, completely on her own, decorating the train.
The experience was marred only slightly the following evening, when for reasons still unknown to us, Isabella decided to stuff one of the leftover candy balls up her nose to "keep it safe." There it lodged, and there it remained until it dissolved somewhere in her nasal cavity.
I'm taking another break (although lately, it's like it's been one long break around here), but I will be back next week.
Today is not the day to elaborate, what with the Christmas Eve business and all. Next week, I'll come back here and share some of what's been going on.
But when you have kids and you're Christmas people, and it's The MOST WONDERFUL Time of the Year, there's not a whole lot of time for sitting around and moping. You make the month as special as you can muster up the energy for. You buy the tree, you visit Santa, you bake the cookies, decorate the house, read the holiday stories, watch the specials on television, and hope like hell that your kids don't notice that you can't wait until this hellacious month is over.
I've never liked December. It's the annual Holiday Spreadsheet of Debt. The non-stop shopping and spending. The fake cheer. The massive commercialism. The buying of gifts people neither want nor need. The annoying Facebook updates from friends who LOVE Christmas and like to tell everyone exactly how much they love it, and how storybook their lives are day in and day out for the entire month.
Honestly, as soon as the calendar flips to December, I am looking forward to January. At least it's okay to be cynical and moody in January.
At the beginning of the month, we bought a tree.
I started the annual Advent Calendar ritual, which was a great idea when there was only Isabella, but is now a pain in the keister with three kids. 25 mini "presents" each, for every single day from December 1st to the 31st. I've taken to filling their calendars' drawers with Cheerios each morning.
Hey, "austerity" isn't the Word of the Year for nothing.
Santa rode through our neighborhood on a fire truck, as he does every year. Nicholas and Isabella were happy to see him, sit on his lap, and receive a candy cane.
Luci? Not so much.
Isabella and I went to my MIL's company's "Lunch with Santa," where I witnessed her getting inked by an old lady in a Christmas sweater vest.
Fortunately, the results were professional.
We took our annual trip to a local garden store's Christmas! Spectacular! Trains were watched and ridden.
Another visit with Santa was attempted.
And then there was baking, frosting, and decorating of cookies and of gingerbread train (minus the baking).
Isabella decorated a little over two dozen cookies. What was over last year in about 20 minutes took her two hours this year. She quite literally decorated them, putting non-pareil "ornaments" on the tree cutouts, faces on the snowmen cutouts, etc. Oddly, she asked to eat none of them. It was all about the process for her.Then it was on to the gingerbread train, on which she spent another hour, completely on her own, decorating the train.
The experience was marred only slightly the following evening, when for reasons still unknown to us, Isabella decided to stuff one of the leftover candy balls up her nose to "keep it safe." There it lodged, and there it remained until it dissolved somewhere in her nasal cavity.
Good times.
And then there was bobsledding through the kitchen, of course.
Aunt Karrie arrived on Tuesday night. More baking ensued.
And then there was bobsledding through the kitchen, of course.
I'm taking another break (although lately, it's like it's been one long break around here), but I will be back next week.
Until then, Merry Christmas and happy everything, awesomely loyal readers. You've made my year in more ways than one, and I'm happy to know every single one of you.
I'm sorry Kristi. I know it can be a really hard time of year. I hope you have a Merry Holiday and that when January comes it brings with it relief from what's been bothering you.
If you ever need an ear, you know I'm here.
PS--You "go through the motions" awesomely. :)
Merry Christmas, Dear Kristi...
Kristi, I hope you and your loved ones are safe, healthy and well. We've had a pretty hellacious year, between the passing of my SIL, our family friend, and now the daughter of a friend. Not one ornament was hung this year.
You're a good mama and did a great job making Christmas special for the littles. Hope your New Year is filled with joy. Sending love.
Sorry it was a rough month for you. Hopefully Christmas morning was fun.
What? Your gingerbread train actually came out and stayed upright? Did you happen to see my recent blog post about ours? Sheesh.
:)
Hang in there, January is just a few days away....