'Tis the Season

Aahh: (or aarrgh! depending on your perspective) December has sledded into town, twinkling with colored lights, riding on the aroma of sugar cookies, teasing us with the hint of snowy days in our near future. 'Tis the season for festivity and mania--as we rush about, cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, visiting, decorating, eating, gifting. And I get caught up and swept along in the holiday tide too...to the point of feeling like I'm spinning around in circles, too crazed to pause, take a deep breath and actually enjoy the hoopla. So this year I made myself a solemn vow: to slow down, relax, and simplify.

I began implementing my Master Plan (sounds so official, right? or vaguely diabolical...you be the judge...) when sorting through the Christmas decorations last weekend. "We're turning over a new (holly) leaf," I firmly decided, "less cutesy, more classy." Out with the caroling stuffed-animals and the wax candles we never light (I don't know why I decided that open flames were a good idea in a house where children are ALWAYS running around...and the smoke itself is an allergy nightmare); IN with flameless LED candles and shiny beaded garland strings. Out with the plastic Little People and Veggie Tales nativity sets. Side note: I almost got into B-I-G trouble here, though. When the "Jesus toys" (as Derek has been calling them since he was 3) failed to make an appearance, I had a Christmas Crisis on my hands. Why, you ask? Because for the past several years, Derek has been setting up Little People vs.Veggie Tales as opposing football teams, to play the Bethlehem Bowl (sponsored by Holiday Inn--"It's better than sleeping in a stable"! Yeah, I just made that last part up...) I managed to placate him by purchasing a wooden nativity set that he could use for his gridiron games. Since there's now only one Team Jesus, they ended up in a hotly contested battle against...the Superhero action figures. One day I walked through just as Derek--color commentating his own sporting events, as usual--gravely announced, "Oh, Wolverine took Mary down at the 10 yard line, that was quite a hit!" ...um, that's totally classy, right?

With the delicate issue of "decking the halls" all squared away, I next turned my attention to our annual holiday party. In keeping with my new motto, I decided to have an Open House this year. Simple finger food! Casual afternoon timing! Less fuss, more fun! (ooh, that should be my motto!) In years past, I've driven myself absolutely NUTS with stress and worry in the week leading up to the party, as I flit about in a frenzy of planning and preparing. So this year, to put my mantra into practice: I've written a list of which stores I must go to, and what needs to be bought at each one. I've also determined when each menu item needs to be assembled. I've set aside time to shop and bake. And now I'm twiddling my thumbs, wondering why I have free time! Have I forgotten anything? What should I be doing? Ironically, I'm so calm, it's starting to freak me out!

Well, there's only one thing for it...I'll just make myself a cup of tea, put my feet up, and cheer on Team Jesus. (It should be a good one--I hear this week they're playing the Star Wars Squad...and you know Darth Maul cheats!) On second thought, maybe I'd better go with an Irish coffee instead...