Christmas

I love Christmas, I really do. I love everything about it...the sights, the sounds, the smells, the crabby shoppers....well, ok, so the crabby shoppers are not a part that I love. As I have gotten older I almost find myself amused by them. I have learned over the years that I do not want to allow myself to get sucked in to their crabbiness. It's Christmas and I will enjoy it even if they chose to make themselves miserable. So, I started slowly changing my thinking and how I do things. I no longer try to be the "SuperMom" I desperately tried to be each year. I never succeeded to reach my idea of what I should have achieved, so I would just end up miserable. No longer.

For starters, holiday baking doesn't get done. I don't feel the need to spend hours and hours destroying my kitchen, appliances & utensils (see previous post) only so I can have containers full of yummy treats that will just cause my waist and hips to expand even more, which will cause me to get mad at myself. There are a couple of things the kids do enjoy (like glass candy) that we will make, but that's the extent of it.

Wrapping presents. I used to try to almost make a production out of it. I went so far as to put snips of greens on the packages for my family. Austin humbled me a few years ago when he asked why there was a part of a dead tree branch taped to his present. I rubber stamped white paper one year to use as wrapping paper. One year I was very detailed in using ribbons to create gorgeous designs around the package that was never appreciated it. All I ever heard was, "ok where's the scissors so I can get this stuff off?" Actually, I'm sure it was appreciated...just not right then when they were anxious to get it open. I seemed to be the only one impressed by how things were wrapped and I usually made myself crazy when wrapping. Trying to get them to look "perfect", which of course was impossible. Now, I use old shoe boxes or whatever box I can find around the house (instead of the gift wrapping boxes you can buy). I buy wrapping paper after Christmas when it's on sale for up to 75% off and I save it for the next year. I wrap up the gift, slap a bow on it and call it done. I don't even use name labels much anymore...just a black sharpie will do.

Shopping is the last thing I changed. I realized that it WILL get done. Wal-Mart, Target and other places are kind enough to be open 24hrs a day (and a few others just during the holiday season) so I can get it done in plenty of time. When I go shopping I go with the idea that I will enjoy myself and I will do whatever it takes to accomplish that. So far this year I have hummed Christmas tunes and stopped to enjoy the holiday decorations. People rush by bumping in to me and/or my cart and I will say "Sorry I was in your way, Merry Christmas" which usually results in that person giving me a wierd look and that makes me giggle. The other day I was starting to feel myself get a little frustrated so I frantically searched for a place to help. While doing that I found one shop that for some reason seemed to be pulling me in. In there was a card stand. Hundreds and hundreds of cards for every occasion. All of them were funny. Oh my gosh, there were some that literally made me laugh out loud. I was standing there all by myself cracking up and it became contagious. One lady standing nearby said "Oh I love these cards too." When I'd crack up again she'd say "oooooo, which one, which one" and we started exchanging cards that made us laugh. I left after about 10-15 min of that and said good-bye to my new "card friend" and when I left that store I felt a spring in my step and a smile was on my face. That was just what I needed. Of course, within about 10 feet someone bumped into me as they hurried past and I said "Sorry I was in your way, Merry Christmas" and I went on my way humming a Christmas tune.