I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas!  Ours was great.  The day was somewhat relaxed, and the kids were spoiled rotten.  I really do love Christmas.  However, I also despise the aftermath. 

You see, I work from home, on the computer for up to 6 hours a day.  While I am working, my kids enjoy playing with each other, and the harder they play, the messier the house gets.  That’s typical, Christmas or no Christmas, but the joy of Christmas seems to have left a large amount of extra clutter in my life. 

Our 12ft Christmas tree is making me claustrophobic.  The once beautiful and majestice symbol of life everlasting is now a giant dust and clutter collector. 

The toys the kids were so excited to open on Christmas morning have now been poked, prodded, and abused leaving some of them broken or neglected after only a short stay at our home.  My boys got two giant boxes of legos.  I love the concept of legos.  I love that they require critical thinking, imagination, and fine motor skills, but I loathe the little pieces that end up all over the house only to be stepped upon by an unsuspecting barefoot. 

The packages once wrapped in fancy paper with lovely bows, adding to the festive decor of  our home are now piled up sky high in the corner of my kitchen.  Just sitting there.  Waiting for my wonderful husband to take the time to send them to their resting place-far away from my kitchen.

The delicious handmade treats that my friends and neighbors so graciously brought to our home as a symbol of love are now crumbs on my kitchen floor.

And finally, all of the lovely Christmas decor I have been working so hard to collect throughout my adult life  just adds to my list of things I have to dust.

I think I’m going crazy! 

I really make an effort to have the Christmas Spirit.  There are so many wonderful things that accompany this time of year, but now, I want my house back.

Today my mom is making the 20 minute drive up to my house to help me package all of my Christmas decor in their boxes where they’ll be stored and eagerly awaiting their appearance in 2010.  When that time comes, I will be so happy to see them that I will giggle with joy.  But now, be gone with you!  All of you!

Even though this site is supposedly meant for “modern” mamas, I just couldn’t resist posting about a mother from long ago who had an incredibly heavy load to bare.  I can’t even fathom what it may have been like to be Mary, the mother of our Savior.  Did she worry?  Did she complain?  Did she ask ‘why me?’  I love this song.  I think it just might her role and her emotions into perspective, even just a little bit.
I have traveled
Many moonless night
Cold and Weary
With a babe inside
And I wonder
What I’ve done
Holy Father
You have come
Chosen me now
To carry your son

I am waiting
in a silent prayer
I am frightened
by the load i bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me now

[chorus:]
———————————–
Breath of Heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of Heaven

Breath of Heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me, your holiness
For your holy Breath of Heaven
———————————–

Do you wonder
As you watch my face
If a wiser one, should of had my place
But I offer-all I am
For the mercy-of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me

[chorus]

WMAG Contributors

I am so excited for my first blog feature on this site!  I am also extremely excited about the site I’m featuring. I ran across this great blog a while back called Working Moms Against Guilt.  I love the concept of the site.  There are so many mothers that work either because the want to or because the have to, and unfortunately oftentimes there is a feeling of guilt that is attatched to the role of a working mom.  These great moms are taking a stand against that guilt.  It is an enlightening blog that deals with day-to-day challenges and successes that so many of us can relate to.  Here is one of my favorite posts,

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Oh me oh my.

Two weeks ago O decided it was time to go on the potty. I was excited. We hadn’t been poking, prodding, or cajoling him. (I learned long ago this wonderful human being is about as stubborn as his mom, and as long as you give him his space, he’ll make up his mind all on his own thankyouverymuch.) One day he went in a diaper, I asked him where Mommy and Daddy went to the b-room, he said “the potty.” I asked him if he wanted to try going on the potty, he said yes, and here we are.

Two weeks later peeing in the potty is mastered, #2–not so much. We’ll get there, though. I’m not worried.

What I might be slightly worried about is what potty training has done to our morning commute. I purposely picked a daycare that is closer to my work than home. (He’s already one of the last kids there as it is, and the daycare is approximately 5 minutes from my work. All the other moms must work next door or get off work at 4 or something.) Anyway, we have about a 20-25 minute commute downtown

Today we stopped TWICE to go to the bathroom on the way to work. Partially my fault, because I didn’t ask him if he had to go before we left. And I think the second stop might have been a manipulation to get more Hostess muffins.

But hey, he went both times. And I’d much rather stop and be late to work than not stop and be late due to cleaning up my car. Bonus: I get to tour all the lovely gas station and grocery store bathrooms on the way to our work/daycare. Heck! I could start a little side business: A site that lists all the bathrooms off of I-71 in order of cleanliness….

My first post would be a warning to watch out for the Speedway off the Ridge Exit. It’s a little icky.

I would like to highly encourage you to check out their site!  It’s a great read, and serves an even greater purpose.

Thanks WMAGs!

Last night around the time my hubby and I went to bed at 10:30, it began snowing.  It’s now 2:00pm and the snow hasn’t stopped. 

Somebody certainly shook the snow globe.

It’s beautiful.  The crisp white snow twinkling and untouched on the ground seems to be an open invitation to kids everywhere to leave their mark.  How could that beautiful snow possibly go untouched? 

It couldn’t. 

My oldest has kindergarten in the morning.  Today I picked him up and was home by lunch.  After a snack and homework, the process began.

It always goes something like this, “MOM, where are my gloves?”   “MOM where is my beanie?”  “MOM will you help me get my boots on!”  The belting out of loud demands and pressing inquiries seems to be everlasting.  Then came the actual suiting up.  The long johns, the hoodies, the snow pants, the coats, the hats, the gloves, then the scarves. . . .Then the, “I have to pee!”  It seems to go on for hours!

After the excitement of the preparation, the time comes at last that they get to venture to the great outdoors.  Today I even let my baby join in on the fun.  It wasn’t the first time she had seen the snow, but it was certainly the first time she got to dive right in.  It was sheer bliss for all three of them. . . .for about 15 minutes!  Then they decided they were too cold, the snow was too “crumbly” to build a snowman, and the hills were too small for sledding.

So, the process began again, only this time it was in reverse.  Once the commotion was finished, I looked around at about 15 seperate puddles of melted snow on my hardwood floor, 12 stacks of wet clothes needing attention, and 3 frozen kids with wet hair and red noses.

Was it worth it?  I really can’t say.  However if you ask any one of the three, I am confident the answer would be a resounding, “ABSOLUTELY!”  Which is why the next time it snows when I hear the call, “MOM, where are my gloves?” I’ll be right there, gloves in hand and a half smile on my face.

There is something magic in the air. 

I love it. 

I usually try to refrain from excessive Christmas celebration until after Thanksgiving.  Well, my time has finally arrived. 

Have I mentioned I love it?

I have gone wild with Christmas music, and decorations!  Last night our family finished decorating our tree.  The kids were so excited, they kept saying “This is the BEST Christmas ever!”  In the middle of our jubilee, my oldest son looked out the window and saw a blinking red light.  He excitedly exclaimed, “Do I see what I think I see?”  His younger brother, Super T, booked it over to the window to see what his wise older brother was looking at. 

Almost in unison they yelled “RUDOLPH!”

I knew just what to do. . . .I took advantage of the situation.

I immediately explained that Santa was making his rounds to see which list the little children belonged on. . . Naughty, or Nice  I also pointed out that it was past their bedtime and they were not yet in bed.

As I watched my boys sprint to the bathroom to begin their nightly routine, I couldn’t help but think of how magical these years are.  Right now, my kids knowSanta is real.  They have no doubt that he really was making his nightly rounds checking on the status of  their behavior.  They are mesmerized by the pure magnitude of the jolly old guy’s Christmas trip around the world, and they can’t get over how cool it is that he will be coming down our chimney.  I love it.  It’s magic.

My oldest is will be 7 in the summer.  I’m afraid these magical years won’t go on too much longer.  I have made a firm resolve to enjoy every moment of this Holiday Season.

After all, the day that I can no longer use the infamous stern phrase, “Santa’s Watching!” will be a sad, sad day!