I've been trying, as much as humanly possible, to keep things simple for Christmas this year. I've kept the baking to a minimum. (Oh, all the cookies my mom, sis, and I used to make!) I ditched the roll-out types of cookies this year due to a very demanding toddler who takes short naps some days (yesterday- 40 minutes), and I've opted for easy roll-into-a-ball recipes instead.
My gifts have all been bought and wrapped, and very, very little was bought in-store. (I am just about desperate for some real civilization around here. There is absolutely nowhere to bring Caleb in the dead of winter. I just don't feel like driving fifty minutes to an hour to go to a mall. I feel like a very trapped stay-at-home mom.)
I grew very sick of online shopping, because it is harder than it looks. Scrolling through page after page of items can be challenging. I want to see the item in person, feel it, etc., but I had to make do.
So, it is the last weekend before Christmas. Our bedroom looks like Santa's workshop with all the gifts all over the place, and thankfully Caleb pays them no mind when he's in our room, because he doesn't understand it all yet. I'm making an old family cookie recipe later today, our famous Italian cookies that are always a hit, and always remind me of my grandmother. Later this weekend I'll make some fudge, because it just isn't Christmas without my homemade fudge.
Other than this, it's been simple around here. I've been feeling very run-down lately, so I've tried to just focus on the regular chores, taking care of my two men, and doing the minimum that needs to be done for Christmas. Thankfully, I am NOT stressed out and frazzled at the last minute. I am so looking forward to Brian being off of work after a long week, gone several nights in a row. I can't wait to be a family with uninterrupted time... this to me is one of the best parts of Christmas.
This year, I've traded the stress for simplicity, and I'm definitely the better for it.
Here's a quote from a Karen Carpenter Christmas song (I grew up on Karen Carpenter because my mom loved her at the time) that sums up how I feel right now:
"Greeting cards have all been sent. The Christmas rush is through. But I still have one wish to make... a special one for you. Merry Christmas, darling."
