Christmas is Coming, Another Day Down

Christmas is five days away. I finally got the lights on the tree last night...to go with the three (yes, 3) ornaments currently hanging there. It is my fervent hope that all other ornaments currently in our possession will miraculously leap onto the tree and arrange themselves with perfect spacing, but I don't think that will happen. It could be that we are starting a new tradition in not decorating for Christmas until the week of....or it could be that we've just had too much going on otherwise to help it. And that's sad.

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday....and not for the reason that it's a holiday at all. But with each December day that passes, I feel like more and more is slipping away from me. I can't cram the season into one or two special days. One of my favorite Christmas memories is of touring the homes on the Fredericksburg Candlelight Tour. I'm not sure they even do that anymore, but I've always wanted to have that experience again.....and I've been meaning to do that for at least 15 years but haven't ever made the time. Didn't take that extra day off from work or say no to other "obligations." I didn't make the time to have my son's portraits taken by my favorite photographer and fantastic friend, Sara Blanco. I didn't send out Christmas cards to people I love. And I was so busy cleaning this weekend that I didn't make the time to bake Christmas cookies with my boy.

I hate that this has become a season of regrets. I want it to be a season of celebration. So please forgive me if I choose to bake with my child tonight instead of wiping down baseboards and cleaning the paw prints from the sliding glass door. If you happen to stop by my house over Christmas and see the piles upon piles of laundry peeking out from my laundry room (and maybe other rooms, as well) just don't say anything. It's not important to me anymore and it shouldn't be important to you, either. I cleaned the kitchen and the bathroom and that's really all that should concern anyone.

I have boxes of Christmas decorations stacked in my entryway, and if they stay there until Christmas Eve, does it really matter? They won't be there when my son wakes up early on Christmas morning and pads down the hallway in his footed pajamas into the living room. They won't be there when I hear him gasp and whisper "Wow!" to himself as he stands in the middle of the room illuminated by the glow of the tree, because I've already been listening for hours. They won't be there when he runs into our bedroom and jumps onto the bed and steps onto and over our bodies and excitedly grabs my face in his little hands and announces that Santa came.

The boxes will not be there on Christmas Day. I promise. Just please don't open any doors....