Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas...

Twas the night before the night before Christmas and all through the houses mother were shopping online for the perfect gift blouse… Well maybe not a blouse, but it did rhyme!

I have to say it this year, “Bah Humbug”. I am starting to wonder if maybe Mr. Scrooge had it right. Now ordinarily I LOVE LOVE Christmas. I get so excited when the day after Thanksgiving I can walk into any store and hear “those sleigh bells ringing”. I print out my Christmas List early so everything is done and prep the kids on how to smile in pictures and what to say when the in-laws start to hand out the red reindeer sweaters. Every house we pass that has a Christmas Lights a blazing, my kids and I ooh and ahh!

Then it hit, a couple of weeks ago, it was all fun and games as I woke up early to head out for the last minute Black Friday sales. Then the calendar started to fill up with seasons greetings, Christmas parties, Christmas sings, dance recitals, husband work party and the snow started falling (literally, we are in Utah). And seriously how can any parent stay sane at this point with a 2 hour dance Christmas Grinch dance performance?

It isn’t that my standards are set super high for this holiday (though my husband just texted me and asked if I was going to cry because he only got me one present). I know I will never have the perfect Martha Stewart tree and the stockings all hung on the mantle with care. But the pressure is ON, like donkey kong, to make this the “happiest place on earth” in my house on the 25^th. You see my kids know Disneyland, oh they know it well, and that is some high expectations. I blame the television and all the ads that blast daily in our house for setting the limit as unreachable. My four year old asks for a different toy everyday and most of the time I have no idea what she is talking about (what the heck are Zoobles??).

Year after year, I have to remind myself that it really isn’t all the stuff and the parties and my high strive for excellence that counts. Ben still talks about how every year we go and see the lights at Thanksgiving Point and going to my parents house for the annual Christmas Eve gift exchange. Audrey loves it that we open pj’s the night before. And Emma, well, she has no idea what is going on, but mark my words she will remember something non materialistic!

Now to all those last minute shoppers, I had forgotten that doing isn’t as important as savoring the memories. So it is December 23^rd… I might still have time to save the holiday (heck, scrooge did!). Time for me to do less, rein in on the reindeer's, reduce my stress and with that my kids and husband will actually be able to see a more relaxed and calm Mom. Maybe the media does have it right, that would be “the most happiest place on earth” for my family.