What am I doing right now?
Finishing off this morning’s coffee, that I’ve reheated twice, listening to Christmas music and gearing up to finally start my Christmas baking. Wait, what? Well, because as I’m writing this, it’s Christmas Eve-eve. Like so many other things this year, the holidays just didn’t turn out like I hoped, but that’s okay, we’re making new memories and traditions.
Did I get the lights up on the house?
Well, sort of. I got to the third step on the ladder, couldn’t make myself go any higher, and because I’m still too short to reach the eves, let alone the rain gutters, I opted to create a plan B! I ran a string of lights across the top of the garage door (and thankfully they are just staying on the border because the staple gun wouldn’t work) and then put up some icicle and snowflake lights on the porch, using some existing hooks from holidays past. I put more snowflake lights in my living room window weaving them in and out of the blinds, which I ended up breaking the handle for the blinds so they are now perpetually a third of the way open. It’s a rather Charlie Brown looking decorator job, but I’m okay with that.
What about around the house?
The kids and I were able to get the living room cleaned up, without messing up a new room, and got the tree up and decorated. It’s a cute tree; fake, not so tall that we can’t build it unassisted, not too wide that it takes up more space than we have. The lights are already on it and we have the option of all white, multi-colored or a combination of the two. I even got the XBox hooked up correctly so that we are able to finally start watching Christmas movies. Christmas Eve will be a massive movie-binge day!
Today I got the dishes done and put some things away in the kitchen so that I can finally start baking. Banana bread, pumpkin bread (after I cook a pumpkin and puree it!) sugar, gingerbread, chocolate chip, and no-bake cookies, and if I don’t run out of steam, mint-chocolate and peppermint “spoons”. Ambitious? Perhaps. However many moons ago I would make all of this and more, in one single day! I used to love baking, it’s just the cleanup that has never been my favorite. Well, I don’t like decorating cookies either, but I have kids now to do that!
There were so many things I had wanted to do this year. I wanted to read Christmas stories every night. I wanted to watch a different Christmas movie every day. I wanted to have the presents wrapped already and the baking done earlier. I wanted to have friends over to decorate cookies, or to have a tea party! I had so many plans and ideas, but sometimes we can only get so much done, and we should learn to find joy in that. We should remember to give ourselves grace when all of the things simply don’t get done. The holidays can be difficult for so many different reasons, I have to remind myself not to create more.
However you spent your holidays, my wish is that you felt loved and appreciated. If you didn’t, I’d like to remind you how much I love and appreciate you! You still have one week left this year to let someone know how much they mean to you, even if it’s yourself! May your new year be blessed.
