Let the Countdown Begin!

In case you are unaware today is December 1st. The Advent season has officially begun! At least in our house, maybe yours started November 1st, to each his own.

Today feels like the new year because I have several resolutions that I have made.  Which is ironic since it is the last days of 2011. I should be thinking ahead and making resolutions to start 2012 off with a bang. Instead, I am going to focus on these last days in December.

Resolution #1:
Write daily on this blog. I did it in October and most of the time I enjoyed what I was writing, with just a few days of nonsense writing thrown in. But November hit me hard and I lost my writing mojo.  My sister continued to write daily and was even featured as the blog of the day on BlogHer. Yay Michelle! Only slightly jealous, like 60% happy for her and 40% jealous of her (BTW can you guess that butchered quote?).  Back on topic, I am hoping by setting the goal of writing daily I will once again find the little moments of joy within my day.  Also, I am copying another friend of mine who is also trying to write daily.

Resolution #2:
Celebrate the Advent season with my kids.  This may be a big "duh!" to many of you, but in our house Christmas wavers between excitement and completely overwhelming stress.  There is so much to do, so little time to do it, and I begin to feel my energy quickly circling the drain. This does not transfer into fun family events, but instead, can mean: mom yelling, kids crying, dad not understanding and then waking up to realize Christmas is over.

Last year on some after Christmas sale, I found little red stockings and I decided to buy them and make an advent chain with these stockings.  Yesterday I went and bought twine to hang the stockings on. I had already picked out the perfect place; hanging from our mantle, never mind that it is already full of real size stockings.  Today I spent my hour of free time obsessively matching up each Advent activity with an appropriate day. All I have to do is print, cut up strips, stuff stockings, and voila! A new Christmas tradition is born!

Except that I only bought 18 stockings. Not sure if I thought there were 10 in a package, I bought 1 more package and lost it,  or actually bought them in the middle of December last year intending to use them RIGHT AWAY. Whatever happened, I am left with 24 days of activities and only 18 stockings.  Working on a solution for that right now. Well, not right now because I don't want to, but soon. Definitely soon.

Resolution #3:
Just say No! to drugs. Okay, not drugs exactly, but to over committing. I love the holiday parties and events we are invited to (except Brandon's work party, karaoke + free alcohol = shudder inducing memories) but I can not do them all. I don't even have a valid excuse for saying no. Except that I am working so hard to remain healthy and whole for my family.  Social gatherings, while fun, take a lot of energy and I am finding myself not as willing to expend that energy as much as I used to.  I love my friends, I love seeing everyone, but I love my family more, and I really love being alone most.  So this year, I vow, to say no. Even if it means missing out on fun events, or disappointing people. I don't want to wake up Dec. 26th and feel relieved that everything is over and done. I want to wake up and feel that my family created memories and traditions that will last. And that we did it with minimal fighting, crying, yelling, or arguing.

I may have more. But my time is up.  I need to go back to my boys, pick up my oldest at school, cut bookmarks for the book fair, hang posters around school, make dinner, and I almost forgot, hang up the Advent stockings so we can begin our countdown to Christmas.

One fun, memory making, family event coming up!  Fingers Crossed!