Like most people, I love Christmas time. It's so much fun to give and receive gifts, wrap presents, listen to Christmas music, bake goodies to enjoy. Last year, I was just plain tired. All the many Christmas traditions we've started and maintained began to feel like a burden. Inwardly I groaned, "Do we really have to decorate Christmas cookies, make gingerbread houses, go look at lights, draw names and shop among the siblings, buy advent calendars, watch the light show on Metcalf, etc, etc, etc..." I was feeling a bit Scroog-y. We did those things and I tried to maintain a good attitude. I do of course want to make special memories for and with my children. I just want to find a balance between laziness (on my part) and frenetic activity that wears me out and makes me a grumpy Mom.
After the Christmas season last year, I purged a lot of my Christmas decorations. I just had too much stuff. So, I kept the things I really think are beautiful or that the kids really enjoy. This year putting up decorations was so nice and simple. A few things here and there, and of course the tree. I think I'm going to apply my decorating philosophy to our busy Christmas fun "to-do" list. We will keep the things that are really important, and if we need to skip a thing or two, that's okay. My goal won't be doing it all, but making what we *do* get around to special.
