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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Feeling the Holiday Love

OK, my PMS has abated slightly (sorry to the three men who read this blog). There is no abating of the fact that my stomach is sticking out, but that could be eating too many Christmas cookies vs. PMS so I won't hold that against Mother Nature and I'll get back to enjoying Christmas now.

I feel like I need to make a public service announcement: We interrupt this bout of PMS with some Christmas spirit.

Anyway, it's snowing, so that always puts me in a good mood.

Yesterday I got the presents mostly wrapped, and today I made several batches of toffee and cashew brittle. I washed and folded four loads of laundry. My kids had friends over and everyone was in their happy place. Especially me because I ate bourbon balls most of the afternoon. Plus, I made a rockin' dinner. If you're a crock potting person, try this: Green Pepper Chicken. The boys wolfed it down, and that's saying something.

Today was an unfrazzled day. I don't like feeling frazzled around the holidays. What I like most of all is being in my house, baking, wrapping, reading to the kids, watching Christmas movies and shows, listening to Christmas music, reading in front of the tree (that hasn't happened in more than a decade so I might have to strike that from my list of Christmas favorites). I'm a simple person. Other than school parites, we haven't attended a single holiday party, and even though that makes me sound like a recluse(which I am), I like it that way. I'm a homebody at heart. I don't like it when outside forces intrude on my Christmas mojo.

Anyway, I was thinking about what makes me frazzled at the holidays. I think I have in my head an idea of how I want things to go and basically it looks like what I just described above--at home, baking, reading, etc. When something comes up and interferes with that, I feel frazzled. It's not that I'm trying to fit so many things in, I'm trying to keep from doing anything that I don't want to do! Does this make sense? I don't relate to people who go to party after party at the holidays. First, I apparently don't have enough friends to garner that many invites, but I would also had that sort of demand on my time. Heck, I'm annoyed that I have to work tomorrow on the mountain. Can't they just give me free ski passes in recognition of my riveting personality?

Honestly, I don't know how people who in traditional jobs do it. I've been self-employed for more than eight years now, and I can't imagine not having the flexibility I feel like I need to deal with life. Yes, sometimes I work ridiculous hours at night, but I'm OK with it because the tradeoff is getting to do what I want/need to during the day. Like skiing. Just kidding. Of course I mean volunteering for countless hours at my children's school. That's exactly what I meant.

I've got to go now. I'm watching White Christmas for the fourth time this year. I never seem to get to sit and watch it from start to finish though. But I'm OK with it.

Now the only thing giving me stress is the boys' ever-changing Christmas lists.

6 comments:

Lucinda said...

If the boys are disappointed or perplexed as to why something they added "late" wasn't delivered by Santa, just tell them that Santa has a cut-off for list changes, and apparently, they missed it. (Kind of goes along with me telling Sam & Julia that when they don't behave, it means one less present...cruel, but effective.)

Glad to read that your Christmas mojo has returned! :) Merriest of Christmases, Nat! Love ya!

sportzmom said...

Glad to hear that your mojo is back! Have fun skiing tomorrow. I'm jealous! Even with all the snow we just got, the skiing around here is so icy. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and that Santa is able to bring exactly what is on the last list!

Kristie said...

Frazzled pretty much describes me to a "t" this year, and I hate it. I still haven't wrapped all the gifts, haven't baked a thing, haven't grocery shopped for my share of Christms day ..... etc. I'm too busy fire-stomping all the little things. I forgot gifts for a LOT of people ... that's embarrassing. We've done no Christmas movies, stories, looking at lights, hot-chocolate ... nada. Zip. Zilch. I think this year is a wash, but I've already hand written myself a note to put on Oct 1st of next year's calendar, to remind myself of how this year fell apart and encourage myself to not make the same mistakes next year. First of all, don't schedule a "six day" remodel the week before Thanksgiving that winds up going until mid-December!!

Leeann said...

Natalie-

In some ways I think we are soul sisters and this post just confirms it! :-)

When I tell my friends that I am not a social person, they always laugh. "Yeah, right!" But the thing is, I am NOT a social person. I am fun and social with the few people that I truly like and after a few hours, my well is trapped dry. And I HATE going to parties. I do like my Bunco chicks but that's cause we get wild!

About the recipe- I'm intrigued but nervous. I'm not a green pepper or green chilies loving gal!

1dreamr said...

Thank you for posting these thoughts, at this time. SO many of us can relate. I'm glad your holiday mojo is back!!

Mountain Mama said...

Merry PMS!

And Merry Merry Christmas!
blessings,
ashley