I feel like I'm starting the new year on a low note. I got sick this week right after Christmas...that darn Christmas Cold caught up with me after all. It's no wonder, though, when I reflect on the weeks preceding this one.
There was a lot of celebrating this month, but before the celebrating could start, we had a lot of anticipating to manage. For the entire month of December leading up to Christmas Day we have the formal countdown, technically "Advent." The first candle is lit as we go whirring past the Feast of Saint Nicholas, we bake, we eat, we read, we photograph the kids for the card (that never gets sent), we visit Santa. The second candle joins the first, we sing, we eat, we worship, we party and eat, we shop, we decorate; the third candle glints alongside the first two, we worship, we trim, we write, we wrap, we party some more; candle number four sets the whole wreath ablaze in anticipation, we worship, we visit, we dress, we read, we craft, we make reindeer food, we gather together. Oh, and through it all, we're fighting to keep the house clean and the laundry baskets from becoming buried under a mountain of dirty clothes.
It's Christmas Eve. We worship. We set out new pajamas on the lawn (racing home from Christmas Eve service before husband and kids so "Santa" could drop them magically on the lawn in packages marked individually for each child...amazing! And totally worth the effort for the look of wonder on their little faces as they discover their packages while feeding the reindeer a snack out on the lawn!).
We spend the week leading up to Christmas trying to repaint the pepto-pink dollhouse we ordered online a more gender-neutral golden yellow with blue trim...tedious. And Paul gets a flu-like cold, complete with fever and chills. It's all on me now. The kids are fine. They feel great and they act like energy is a renewable resource whether or not they take naps. By Christmas Eve my spirits are really sagging. I have expended more energy than I can generate, gone to bed late every night, and berated myself for all the things I did not do this year. Christmas Day does not include a birthday cake for Jesus, since (by now I'm cutting anything I deem extraneous) we will have to bake, decorate and eat cake three days from now for our son's birthday on the 28th...I'm just really over the whole cake thing.
We celebrate the birthday with a small family dinner, since his Wild Rumpus is scheduled for January 4th, when more of his friends will be in town after their Christmas travels. I spend the week preparing for the big party and trying to rest. This cold hit me hard. We celebrate the New Year quietly, with Chinese food take-out (tradition) and early bedtimes (new development since first child arrived). Happy New Year...
I'm tired. How about you?
2 comments:
I couldn't agree with you more. The past few weeks really seem like a blur now, and I'm so relieved that it's finally January. I'm actually thrilled to be putting away the decorations this year--usually it's kind of sad.
It was a great holiday season, but I need a break, too! Hope you're feeling better!
Donna, I am relieved. I thought the Wild Rumpus was today (I *ahem* misplaced the invitation) and I was up almost all night with KOTJ. Yes, it seems that mom's are the Queens in Charge of Christmas Merryment and it sure wears you out. I go into it every year with such high expectations and always seem to fall short. Too little time and energy.
This year I resolved to wrap presents as I get them and I already canned my gifts for next year, so I'm feeling optimistic. We'll see how I feel on December 23!
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