The Holidays...An Overview

Well, we just conquered Thanksgiving. For our family, this marks the first of the anxiously anticipated Holiday Season. This is always a very daunting time of year for me. I have never been one to really embrace the whole Holiday season. Having kids definitely helped that, having a husband who is so in love with Christmas has helped me really see the magic of the season. However, that being said, the stress that comes with making sure that these memories and traditions are carried out properly and efficiently is EXHAUSTING!

I know that what we do as a family is NOTHING compared to what others do. For example we have this beautiful family in our lives, our in-laws. They are so dedicated to the traditions that they have that they drive 3 hours at 2 or 3 in the morning on Christmas Day to be back "home" to celebrate Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is spent listening to amazing Carolers in her hometown. Bless their hearts I commend their dedication, I don't think I could do it! Once the tree is up, the decorations are out and the village is set up, I am done. Boxes need put away, anything with glitter must go out of toddler reaching range, if the lights outside don't work you have 2 hours to get them to work or out they go. My husband likes to joke me and call me Scrooge!

I am not a Scrooge, I LOVE buying presents for my kids and my family. It is really one of the highlights of my year. I LOVE the spirit of giving and celebrating the true meaning this holiday holds for me. Hearing about different cultures and what they celebrate and why is fascinating to me as well. I see the magic, the love the joy and the hope this season brings. SO why do we run full tilt from the last Thursday of November until the end of December? Do we as parents and caregivers get the chance to actually sit down and take in the Holidays? Or are we too busy creating the memories for our children that we lose site of what is important? I personally fall into the latter category. As sad as that is. I want my kids to have the most amazing Holiday ever, I want my husbands eyes to dance as much as my sons do when they open their gifts from Santa, I want to participate in that amazing feeling of giving....Anyway I can. I want to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas in every way shape and form. I set out to do everything possible to make these times wonderful but rest assured I will resemble a 3-year old temper-tantrum-ing puddle at some point around December 20th.....

This year I am determined to make the changes to ensure that I can sit back sip my egg nog and enjoy my Christmas Tree. ( I say this as my husband is beginning to perform surgery on a strand of lights that went out on our tree....This could get ugly)

So my question to you is, how do you do it? How do you find a wonderful balance that allows you to enjoy the season? Please leave me your feedback, I really would love to know.

This will be part of a series I am sure so look for new posts often!

Happiness and joy to you!!

Regina