Days 19 - 27

A blur of family activities and celebrations. Within these days, there were four official holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's. According to Jules, a "holiday" means eating gold-foiled chocolate coins and blowing out candles, getting gummies and mangoes. And snow. This week, Julian told us, "Kwanzaa brought the snow." Huh?

I spent lots of time in my PJs - mostly because it takes a long time to get a bunch of people showered and two little boys away from their animal figurines to venture out into 12 degree weather. (A note on pajamas: They're comfy, particularly when you've been eating M&Ms for consecutive days that span more than a week - but wearing them for prolonged periods makes me feel sick and lazy.)

Just before sledding (yes, there was snow).
Photo by Jen Clarkin

A sum of what I've learned this week: 

1. I miss my family lots - all of it, including Jon's.

2. A well-planned just-busy-enough day does wonders for my mental state. On Day 19, I used the free personal training session I got for joining the Y and did a kick-ass workout, came home to spend a day with the boys, who were off from school. We baked cookies, went to the library, met Jon for lunch. Came home spent some playing "quietly" (that means arty-type things not the absence of loud noise), then decorated our cookies. That evening, we had "Christmas" with Chris and Ri, Drew and Mikey... awesome. Plus, there was the fun anticipation of lots of days off, with family around.

3. Without exercise (which ceased after the Y workout), I feel icky and on-edge.

4. Doing spontaneous activities for which I'm not prepared (like going sledding in jeans and the wrong boots) makes me anxious and cranky. But if I just stop complaining and jump on for the ride, it's actually super fun. Next time, I probably should just skip the complaining. So if I have one 2012 resolution I guess that's it: "Shut up and go." Wheee!

Day 6

Today, we visited Santa--or as Julian calls him, "that Christmas guy." At first, the fact that the concept of Santa was fuzzy for Jules made me happy, like I've done an OK job of not making Christmas too commercial. Then I realized that, while my mom (an elf, like, for real) sat us down and repeatedly told us Christmas stories--those involving both St. Nick and the nativity, Jon and I have only mentioned Santa in passing (and Baby Jesus... well, that's a post for another day).

"That Christmas Guy" with Kai. Jules declined.

So, to Jules, the Christmas season means chopping down a tree, getting psyched to see far-away family (least I'm doing something right!), snow (see Day 4), and "that Christmas guy or maybe the Easter Bunny or Champ or Mickey Mouse will bring me mangoes and gummies." I have to get my act together. 

Today's gratitude target: Kathie Mic, creator of handmade Advent calendars, etc. for--among other things--making sure my kids don't grow up thinking that a Lake Monster delivers mangoes to kids' homes when it snows.