Hi! Remember me?
So I inadvertently (or maybe subconsciously?) took a blogging break for most of December. I didn't keep to my writing schedule. And I was ok with it.
Actually, I didn't keep to much of a schedule at all. And I was ok with that too.
I've mentioned several times that I refuse to let the Christmas season stress me out. I keep it fun, I keep it light, and when something threatens to make me Grinchy, I step back. And this year, my step back wasn't from holiday hoopla, it was from my day to day duties. I didn't worry about writing, I didn't worry about laundry, I didn't worry about cleaning. When an idea struck me that I couldn't wait on, I wrote about it, but more likely I just jotted it down for later. When something was exceptionally dirty, I cleaned it. We had clothes that were clean, even if they did spend more time in the laundry basket than usual. I didn't do as well as usual with my meal plan, so we had more nights of pizza or sushi than we usually do.
But I baked cookies with two very excited little girls. I wrapped what seemed like a multitude of gifts. I kept our Elf magic alive (with 100% success in remembering to move him....good thing I'm not an overachiever who expected him to do tricks, or I'm sure it would be much lower). I sent cards and took the time to look at all the pictures in the cards we received. I decorated the house and watched the girls enjoy the tree and the decorations. We looked at lights and visited with friends and had a wonderfully festive December, just as a holiday season with two little ones should be.
Naturally my favorite moments were those little ones you can't even anticipate.
Madison singing at her preschool Christmas party, but spending most of the time turned and waving at us.
A Christmas angel, who upon realizing that I couldn't get a cart with a child seat at Kohl's and was resigned to shopping holding a very wriggly Reagan, took it upon herself to search the store for one, then track ME down to make sure I had it. This woman didn't work there, but just happened to strike up a conversation with me, and then made sure that my inconvenience, minor as it was, wasn't inconvenient for long.
Madison offering to share her gifts and stocking with me Christmas morning when she didn't think Santa had come for me (Adam was horribly sick and hadn't managed to get mine under the tree first thing in the morning).
With the exception of (and despite) Adam's horrible cold/flu/virus/plague, it was a wonderful Christmas season here. I like to keep the Christmas season going through "The Twelve Days", so we still have our tree and our lights and we'll keep them up through the weekend. Adam's birthday is on Friday and we like to keep the celebratory feeling going through at least then, before everyone heads back to work and the flurry of activity.
But come Monday, we'll have our fresh start. Back to our regular schedule of activities, a cleaning schedule, a meal plan Integrating our new toys and clothes and reorganizing what we have. Giving myself a writing calendar to keep myself organized. I have exciting things coming up, but they do come with firm deadlines and my babysitter won't be available during her school break after all. I'll have to make myself a plan and stick to it.
I still want to look back, and look forward, just as I did last year. I need to see how I did on my resolutions and make some goals for this year. I do like the idea of starting fresh in January, and I'm excited for the burst of energy that comes with a plan to get organized and active (don't laugh - I know it doesn't last, but the burst is effective!).
But until then, I'm taking a few more days to relax and snuggle in with my family, enjoying the last flickers of holiday glow. There's no rule that you need to start January 1!
Happy New Year!
