Working Mommy at Christmas

As a working mommy, I tend to get a little overwhelmed around the holidays because it feels like there is never enough time to get anything done. (I actually feel that way year round, but that for another post…) Between work and the stuff that needs to be done on a daily and weekly basis I feel like I am just cramming holiday cheer wherever it fits. The decorations are haphazardly put up, the stockings are still in the attic and presents lay strewn throughout the house. I have a feeling that some may even be lost but I won’t know this until the day before Christmas, because if I don’t get my butt in gear that’s when I might actually get around to wrapping anything. I once enjoyed Christmas shopping and getting into the malls just before the holiday but with two toddlers that sounds like a nightmare. I have resorted to mostly shopping online and having everything delivered to my door. It kind of takes the magic out of the whole thing. I used to lay out my gifts and organize them and make little name tags and wrap them meticulously. My gifts looked awesome under the tree. Now, if they are wrapped it is an accomplishment *sigh*.
But as I sit here typing I am watching falling snow and gazing at a decorated Christmas tree and Poinsettias. My kids are pressed up against the window watching the flurries accumulate into much more than the whether forecaster told us it would. Christmas carols are playing on the radio and I feel like it really is “the season” now. Regardless of that rushed feeling that has sat within me for the last month or the money that has been spent, Christmas will be a wonderful day celebrated with family, good food and gifts. The kids will have a ball and I will be taking countless pictures to capture all the important moments. My husband and brothers will have a blast playing with the kids and their new stuff and the grandparents will sit back with their coffee and tea and soak up the happiness that having their children and grandchildren surrounding them on Christmas brings. I make everything a bigger deal than it needs to be and I am thankful for moments of clarity like these. If you are feeling the pressure this week before Christmas, I hope that I have offered you some peace of mind.
I wish you and yours a happy holiday!