Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Monday, August 29, 2011
Twitchy
I'm positively twitchy for Fall...I can't wait for deeper colors, pumpkin spice, leaves crunching, Halloween, Thanksgiving, lots of friends and family, and fires in the fireplace!!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
(Almost) Happy New Year!
I thought I'd get this post in now, before I forgot on New Year's Day...anyway, I hope everyone had a good holiday, and is ready to begin a new year! We're still busy--or rather, I'm still busy--crafting away at Christmas gifts, which are turning into New Year's gifts. I finished the main onslaught, but now I'm onto items I had put off so I could celebrate the holidays with my own family. Sigh.
Tomorrow I pick up my friend from the airport, so we can ring in the new year together, and I can show her "my" Seattle. Then Saturday, we're all off to Boston--her to go home, and Jes, Bug and me for a vacation! I'm so excited to visit our old home, and celebrate my birthday (27!) at a favorite restaurant.
Once I come home in mid-January, I hope to really concentrate on my shop, as I've had a ton of ideas and no time with which to realize them.
P.S. It's not still snowy, but this is how far behind I am on my photo uploading. I'm awesome. :O)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Balance
bal⋅ance [bal-uhns]
3. mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.
7. the power or ability to decide an outcome by throwing one's strength, influence, support, or the like, to one side or the other.
Balance. We all need it in order to thrive emotionally and physically. But it's difficult to maintain, especially during what can be considered either the most stressful or the most joyful seasons of the year. I've had it both ways, and this year, it's somewhat stressful.
The last two holiday seasons have been sad for me, since we lived so far away from family and couldn't afford to go home. I didn't want to decorate, and giving and receiving gifts felt hollow and empty. This year, my son has every toy imaginable, thanks to ever-doting family and friends. So instead of focusing on the buying, I'm trying to make this year a mostly hand-made year. The one project I really wanted to finish for him, his quilt, will unfortunately not be done. Not with the loads of other things I'm making for other people. So I'll get it mostly done, and then finish it after the holidays. He will still love it, and not know or care that it wasn't done in time.
We're also focusing on the experiences of the holiday season. We decorated our Christmas tree together, and saw Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo. We'll have the opportunity to meet with nearly every family and exchange gifts, which will be fun, especially since we haven't been able to do that. But we'll also miss our friends in Boston, and the small traditions we had formed. I'll miss having a giant cookie and candy baking and making session, and celebrating New Year's Eve at a friend's house just down the road. But we'll see them very soon after the new year, to celebrate my birthday.
Sunday night found me in the Emergency Room for another seven day migraine. This time with a most awesome shooting pain behind my right eye. I wondered if my brain would explode, and of course my grandmother's brain tumor was at the forefront of my thoughts. Of course, it's just a migraine, most likely brought on by lack of sleep and stress. By the time I managed to be seen, two and a half hours had passed, the shooting pain was nearly gone, I had sent my husband and son home, and the nurse was apologizing profusely. It was my first solo visit, and was subsequently very scary. Last night, after a very long nap with Bug, my headache was gone, but by the time I woke up this morning it was back. So I have two doctor visits this week to see if we can fix whatever the problem is. I suspect, though, that they will tell me to get more sleep and stop stressing out about everything. And really, I should. But try telling me that at 2AM, when I simply can't sleep. Or at 7AM, when my son decides it's time to "wake up, Mommy!"
So, the next few days will be spent trying to strike a balance, between living and celebrating the season. For that, to me, is truly the spirit of the holidays.
3. mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.
7. the power or ability to decide an outcome by throwing one's strength, influence, support, or the like, to one side or the other.
Balance. We all need it in order to thrive emotionally and physically. But it's difficult to maintain, especially during what can be considered either the most stressful or the most joyful seasons of the year. I've had it both ways, and this year, it's somewhat stressful.
The last two holiday seasons have been sad for me, since we lived so far away from family and couldn't afford to go home. I didn't want to decorate, and giving and receiving gifts felt hollow and empty. This year, my son has every toy imaginable, thanks to ever-doting family and friends. So instead of focusing on the buying, I'm trying to make this year a mostly hand-made year. The one project I really wanted to finish for him, his quilt, will unfortunately not be done. Not with the loads of other things I'm making for other people. So I'll get it mostly done, and then finish it after the holidays. He will still love it, and not know or care that it wasn't done in time.
We're also focusing on the experiences of the holiday season. We decorated our Christmas tree together, and saw Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo. We'll have the opportunity to meet with nearly every family and exchange gifts, which will be fun, especially since we haven't been able to do that. But we'll also miss our friends in Boston, and the small traditions we had formed. I'll miss having a giant cookie and candy baking and making session, and celebrating New Year's Eve at a friend's house just down the road. But we'll see them very soon after the new year, to celebrate my birthday.
Sunday night found me in the Emergency Room for another seven day migraine. This time with a most awesome shooting pain behind my right eye. I wondered if my brain would explode, and of course my grandmother's brain tumor was at the forefront of my thoughts. Of course, it's just a migraine, most likely brought on by lack of sleep and stress. By the time I managed to be seen, two and a half hours had passed, the shooting pain was nearly gone, I had sent my husband and son home, and the nurse was apologizing profusely. It was my first solo visit, and was subsequently very scary. Last night, after a very long nap with Bug, my headache was gone, but by the time I woke up this morning it was back. So I have two doctor visits this week to see if we can fix whatever the problem is. I suspect, though, that they will tell me to get more sleep and stop stressing out about everything. And really, I should. But try telling me that at 2AM, when I simply can't sleep. Or at 7AM, when my son decides it's time to "wake up, Mommy!"
So, the next few days will be spent trying to strike a balance, between living and celebrating the season. For that, to me, is truly the spirit of the holidays.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Christmas Decorations and a bit of Self-Reflection
(Looking for the giveaway? Click here. The giveaway will be going until 12PM Pacific time tomorrow, and I'll announce the winner Saturday. (Or sooner if I feel like it.))
I'm slowly putting up our Christmas decorations. I actually added a bit to the mantle, but haven't taken a picture yet. Grandma Judy gave us a bunch of decorations; otherwise it would just be a tree and stockings for us. (We really, really pared down when we moved from Boston. Like half of our possessions are gone.)
A friend has offered us a fresh-cut tree (they won't be using theirs this year due to a rather curious 13 month-old!) I'm so excited! Once I get that, I'll be able to finish decorating.
Yesterday, driving up to Puyallup to visit some fabric and thrift stores, I had a bit of time to think, as Bug was half-asleep. I was rather depressed, and being quite negative to myself, which led me to wonder if I'm a good mom. Yes, I *know* I am, but sometimes it's hard to remember that as my child is schlepped in the car all afternoon, or throwing tantrums constantly, or hasn't eaten a single fresh vegetable or fruit since I made all his baby food. Welcome to the world of two year-olds, I suppose.
Anyway, after stopping at Starbucks for a much needed mocha, sketch book, and toy truck break, I was feeling much better about my role as a mom! Yey Starbucks!
My point--such that it is--is that all this self-reflection led me to think about what made my childhood holidays so special. I remember picking out our Christmas trees, the church pageant, hot cocoa (and coffee when I was older) with candy canes, the giant open house my dad's family held every year, complete with an awesome buffet, and of course presents, and falling asleep near the Christmas tree waiting for Santa to come (or maybe just trying to prolong the magical feeling once I was older.) And I want to recreate that magical feeling for my son, but I'm stuck for ideas. Do you have a favorite holiday tradition (or traditions) that I could try to incorporate into our holiday celebrations?
I hope all of you are having a wonderful, magical holiday season!
I'm slowly putting up our Christmas decorations. I actually added a bit to the mantle, but haven't taken a picture yet. Grandma Judy gave us a bunch of decorations; otherwise it would just be a tree and stockings for us. (We really, really pared down when we moved from Boston. Like half of our possessions are gone.)
A friend has offered us a fresh-cut tree (they won't be using theirs this year due to a rather curious 13 month-old!) I'm so excited! Once I get that, I'll be able to finish decorating.
Yesterday, driving up to Puyallup to visit some fabric and thrift stores, I had a bit of time to think, as Bug was half-asleep. I was rather depressed, and being quite negative to myself, which led me to wonder if I'm a good mom. Yes, I *know* I am, but sometimes it's hard to remember that as my child is schlepped in the car all afternoon, or throwing tantrums constantly, or hasn't eaten a single fresh vegetable or fruit since I made all his baby food. Welcome to the world of two year-olds, I suppose.
Anyway, after stopping at Starbucks for a much needed mocha, sketch book, and toy truck break, I was feeling much better about my role as a mom! Yey Starbucks!
My point--such that it is--is that all this self-reflection led me to think about what made my childhood holidays so special. I remember picking out our Christmas trees, the church pageant, hot cocoa (and coffee when I was older) with candy canes, the giant open house my dad's family held every year, complete with an awesome buffet, and of course presents, and falling asleep near the Christmas tree waiting for Santa to come (or maybe just trying to prolong the magical feeling once I was older.) And I want to recreate that magical feeling for my son, but I'm stuck for ideas. Do you have a favorite holiday tradition (or traditions) that I could try to incorporate into our holiday celebrations?
I hope all of you are having a wonderful, magical holiday season!
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