Day 9 - Our New Holiday Groove....
So last year, just a few days before Christmas, the Santa bubble popped at our house. This year, every member of our household knew going into the holiday season that there is no Santa Claus. I tell ya...even typing that out is hard. If you don't observe the myth of Santa at your house, it may seem over dramatic that it bummed me out so much, but I think that letting go of any family ritual can be kind of sad after observing it for years, no? This year, I've had great trouble getting motivated to do all of the traditional holiday stuff we do as a family. Without writing Santa Letters, and mailing them off, it has felt like a bit of the magic is gone. It doesn't help that holiday merchandise is making it's way to the shelves earlier and earlier (October? Really?). That, coupled with the fact that it's been close to 80 degrees all week has made it hard to embrace songs about White Christmases, Jack Frost, or anything roasting by an open fire. The Girl has been asking to pull out the holiday boxes from storage for weeks, and I've been wholly unmotivated to do so. Luckily, The Man obliged, so that she could move forward with her decorating plans (and give us a breather from the non-stop questioning.) Then, this morning it bit me. That bug. The one where you realize that you're humming "The Little Drummer Boy"? Man, I love that song. Then, after a lazy morning, we made our way to the Cherrywood Art Fair, which we do every holiday season and I realized that there's no denying it...I'm all in. So...we picked a tree tonight, brought it home and Fi decorated it without much help at all from anyone. The Man sat in the living room admiring her fine decorating, while I baked up some cookies. The Teenager made an appearance, giving a quick nod of approval to the tree, and grabbing a cookie before retreating back to his room. All in all, I'd say it was a successful day, full of just the right amount holiday cheer. Only 16 more to go. Sloooooow and steady.......