I always post the day after NaBloPoMo is over, and then I think, with adorable optimism, "maybe I will keep posting every day! What a good way to think deeply about more things and write more!" I will leave it to your good sense to assume whether or not that has ever worked out.
I had an amazing weekend but didn't get a lot of sleep, so I came home after work and sat on the couch for a bit and then got up and tried to address some things I wanted to get done. Matt put up the tree before he left for Phoenix on Sunday (we finally said goodbye to buying real trees and got a Costco tree last year and I love it), and put the garland on the stair rail. So there are fun sparkly Christmas lights, but a fair bit of mess around them. I wanted to clear off the dining room table, get all the bags that are at the top of the stairs to the basement with all the Christmas shopping I've done so far and take them downstairs, maybe clean out the dresser by the front entrance because I like to stow small Christmas presents in there so they don't get lost, and maybe bring up a few Christmas decoration boxes.
So far I have cleaned off about a quarter of the dining room table, then cleaned out one drawer of the dresser and laid out all THAT stuff on the table, cooked some Asian noodles and stir-fried beef and broccoli (but not eaten any), and brought up zero boxes. And my knee and back hurt and I'm tired.
It's fine, right? I mean, I know it's fine. I don't really feel the Christmas panic I used to sometimes feel at the beginning of December. The kids aren't even home until the 19th. I want to get some decorations up in time to enjoy them for a bit, but I should do that in a way that does not make me feel exhausted and overwhelmed, because that is a prime example of Defeating One's Purpose. But goodness gracious is it STILL difficult to figure out a good balance between doing enough to make the season feel festive and magical (I was grocery shopping today listening to Christmas carols thinking "Does the kids jingle-belling and everyone telling you 'be of good cheer' REALLY sound like 'the most wonderful time of the year?) and not so much that by December 20th I'm collapsed in a heap of glitter, cookie sprinkles and scotch tape, snarling and brandishing a candy cane threateningly at anyone who approaches.
I am also sort of watching the last Mission Impossible movie, because Angus rented it yesterday on our account (from Charlotte) so I figured I should watch it while we have it, and also marvel at the weird-ass gifts technology has brought us. It's... loud. I didn't really get into the first few, but then when Angus would come home we often went to see one together and I gained more of an appreciation. We had been mocking how Tom Cruise kept coming on the screen before other movies talking about how cutting edge these movies were, and then I said to Angus one day "so I read the review for the new Mission Impossible movie and ... apparently it's really good, and pretty cutting edge." Right now I'm thinking maybe I only like MI movies when I see them with Angus?
I'm going to go eat some stir-fry while I ponder these various matters.
10 comments:
I dislike Tom Cruise on principle but he is a decent actor and I kind of love the MI movies. Haven't seen the latest though.
Kids jingle belling gets obnoxious real fast, I have very recent experience with this (thanks to an eager for Christmas kid who dug out a set of jingly reindeer antlers last night and wore them merrily until I said no reindeer antlers at the dinner table hashtag grinch mom).
I feel so seen with this post. Balance is everything and so dang hard to get right. I guess that's part of the... magic???
Regardless, your decor looks lovely and hooray for twinkle lights.
Our kids LOVE Mission Impossible movies so it's become a fun family event for us to go see the new movies. I think watching them with a child makes it exponentially more enjoyable!
I always end up posting the day after NaBloPoMo- I have such momentum! And I've had that same thought, "maybe I'll keep posting every day!" Hahahaha... that's funny.
I'm also laughing at the thought of you snarling and brandishing a candy cane threateningly. My own goal is to do everything I can in the next two weeks, so I don't get to December 20th worried and frantic. I mean the whole point is to ENJOY the season, right??? My house is about 80% decorated (the inside- haven't started the outside yet) and I have some presents bought, but not a lot. There's still cards, wrapping, cookies... I better get moving.
I am a little overwhelmed by the thought of Christmas. We always take our card photos over Thanksgiving when whichever kid is at college is home but Thanksgiving was late this year so now we feel rushed to design the card, write the text (yes I could have done that ahead of time but didn't) and get it printed and then signed, addressed, and mailed.
We have made a conscious decision to decorate less and the late side because the cats (20 months old) are basically kittens in cats' bodies and I am picking up the stuff they knock to the floor daily without any extra decorations added.
My shopping is partly done; nothing is wrapped; no baking done, but I am not too stressed about any of that. There's time.
I have strong feelings about children singing, which is to say that I won't even listen to Jackson 5 songs, so I think you know how I feel about all the Christmas songs with high-pitched little whines happening.
I'm feeling overwhelmed by holiday shopping, to be honest. I know I just need to write out what I need and then just go do it, but it's HARD because I want to shop small businesses, but I work M-F and that really only leaves Saturday because places are closed on Sunday and whatever. It's a problem of my own making. Maybe I should just make homemade granola and sent it off as presents for everyone. *sigh*
But our decorations are up and it does feel festive. I admit that I am jealous of everyone who has a stairway that they can decorate with garlands. It looks so professional and beautiful!
This is totally not the point of your post but I love what you did with your banister!
I don't like candy canes, but now I am thinking I should have a few around, for brandishing purposes. I am sure I will have a need to brandish canes at someone during this season.
I am still recovering from Thanksgiving. Shopping for gifts is partly done. I don't know about singing children, but I have got to get busy learning the Christmas cantata music (adult choir), and learning the piano part for "Soon May the Wellerman Come" which I hope to bring as my contribution for the family talent show that my brother insists upon.
Note to NGS - personally I think homemade granola would be an EXCELLENT gift.
Tomorrow is the swearing in of the newly elected School Board members and I feel I can't concentrate on anything else until that happens.
A wise friend of mine once said that we need to resist the pressure of Christmas and just enjoy ourselves. If it makes you happy to decorate and make the house festive, by all means do it, but yeah, slow down, don’t wear yourself out and suck the joy from it. I try to remember that when I feel overwhelmed with tasks. It has gotten calmer as I have gotten older (and my daughter has gotten older) and now I’m pretty chill about it all.
I’ve done about 2/3 of my cards, should finish the rest this week. I’ve purchased all of my gifts that have to be mailed (some are physical gifts, some are cash for niblings, some are gift cards to local places they enjoy). We’ve put up the lights outside, but that’s all, but we have a very small place and not a lot of decorations anyway. I still have some gifts to buy for my husband and daughter, but I know what I’m getting them so I’m not stressed.
I often feel stalked and threatened by Christmas. I think it's because I hate being under time constraints, I detest being bossed around, and I greatly dislike obligation of any kind, even if it's wrapped up in tinsel and coloured lights.
Let's face it: Christmas is a part-time job for women, even if we enjoy parts of it. Don't even talk about the Mental Load.
Do I still enjoy Christmas? Yes. But I enjoy Thanksgiving a helluva lot more.
It's so lovely to take your time decorating, revel in all the beauty without the panicky feeling. Bravo. Plus, if your knees ain't having it today, perhaps they will tomorrow.
I've heard that Costco has the best trees.
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