Jingle Jogging to the Finish Line

Silent Night.

Peace on Earth.

Asleep in the hay.

How still we see thee lie.

Yeah. These people obviously did not have my holiday season. For all of you who have read previous blogs, you know that I have my %#&* together when it comes to getting organized for this joyous season. Now I am set and ready to go, but I kinda want to stop.

No, I don’t want to stop Christmas. For crying out loud, I am not the Grinch.

I just want to stop doing for a minute. I love this season, and I am glad everyone else does, too. But if I ever have my own organization, I would love to plan a wonderful celebration… In January.

I love having an active family. My kids are in Boy Scouts, piano, soccer, karate, choir, missions, and so forth. Not mention that I teach and my husband works. Throw in the big boys’ school, the baby’s preschool and everyone’s Sunday school and you see that, even on a slow week, we are busy.

Now add to that the fact that nearly every one of the groups listed above wants to have some sort of special event, program or performance in the first two and a half weeks of December. Boy am I tired. Can I get an amen? Or maybe an awesome Thanksgiving party?

I love all of these festive events, but it does feel a little like running a Christmas marathon. Has anyone seen a tinsel finish line and an elf with a twinkle-light trophy?

I hate feeling like this. First of all, I am very much an introvert. I need my down time and alone time to process everything. I get cranky and crazy when I don’t.

My middle son suffers from pretty severe anxiety, and this massive schedule change has him very on edge. I have to say that I can sympathize. I am feeling the pinch, too. I am pretty sure I owe several people in my life apologies. I am sure I have been snippy, and I have probably not been very helpful. I like to think I am better than that. Great. Now I have guilt.

So here is what I am going to do. I am going to make it to the events that I can, and I am going to enjoy them. And I am not going to feel guilty about the ones I miss.

I am going to have a merry Christmas. And, after Friday, I am going to have some peace on Earth. And a good book.

My Three Reflections

I recently told a friend of mine that if you don’t want to see all of your flaws in living color, don’t have kids. I have found that I see everything wrong with me played out in detail by my children. Now this may seem like I am afraid or embarrassed, but I am not. I have kids and I work with kids, so I have my flaws pointed out to me on a regular basis. My attitude is that I am what I am, and all can do is try to do better. There is no point in developing a complex over it.

So, for fun, I have made you chart with a few examples:

Flaw	Child who demonstrated	Examples
I am LOUD	All of them. Particularly #2.	Every teacher #2 has ever had has said, “We are working hard on his inside voice.”
		I bought a whistle so I could be heard over them.
		When I am in the kitchen and I ask #2 to tell his brothers it is time to eat, he just stands there and yells, “DINNER!” at the top of his lungs.
I am a rules junkie	#3	“Mommy! He hit me!”
		“Mommy! He not eatin’ him food!”
		“Mommy! He didn’t brush him teeth!”
		“Mommy! He didn’t clean up!”
		“Mommy! He not sittin’ up in his car seat!”
		“Mommy! He bein’ a tattle-tale!”
I listen to terrible music	#1 and #2	Every time I say, “Stop!” They say, “Collaborate and listen!”
		#1 thinks that he has hit the lottery when Big 90’s Weekend is on Star 94.
		Flannel is their favorite choice of clothing, and they hate to wash their hair.
		They know every word to “Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk.”
I am fashion impaired	#3	See last week’s blog. I am learning so much.
		Cowboy boots go with everything. Everything.
		Jeff Gordon booty shorts are not appropriate in cold weather. Or ever. (BTW the kid owns those, not me.  I don’t wear shorts at all if I can help it. Or bikinis. No one wants to see all of this in those.)
I am a know-it-all	#1	While riding to our cabin in the mountains for summer vacation, we saw a deer. A few minutes later we hear from the back seat, “Forty different kinds of deer live on Earth. The pudu deer in Chile is only 13 inches tall.”
		Kid #1: “I like ocean animals.” Aunt: “What is your favorite ocean animal?” Kid #1: “I have three: the giant squid, the sperm whale, and the pacific octopus.” Aunt: “Wow. That’s really specific.”
		Kid to stranger who dropped a water bottle, “I think you dropped your trash. That is not good for the environment. We recycle.” Yeah, I wanted to smack him, too.
I am not sarcastic at all. Really. Not at alllll.	All of them	Me: Do you like your birthday cake? Kid: Nope. I hated it. <points to empty plate>
		At age 4, #2 knew the difference between sarcasm and hyperbole. That might be a good example for the last flaw, too.
		Kid #2: How did my brother get here? Me: He teleported. Kid #2: Huh? Me: I called Star Trek. They beamed him here. Kid #2: Really?! Kid #1: Dude, seriously?

There are, of course, far worse flaws I have seen mirrored in my children like my temper and procrastination. But the reflection my kids show me has offered a few other insights: I have seen that I have a big heart, a strong faith, and a pretty good sense of humor. I have to find the funny with these guys!