Okay, I've made no bones about it that, for me, Christmas has become an annoying, time consuming bank buster that has little to no meaning of what it's really about anymore. What little time and money I have to spend on this holiday has been shanked by my daughter's hockey season. This was my schedule in the last week or so:

Monday: home game against Oswego - eat dinner at the arena
Tuesday: Practice after school till 6 - pick up pizza on the way home
Wednesday: Game at Salmon River which is 2 1/2 hours away - eat at McDonald's
Thursday: practice till 6 - Chinese for dinner
Friday: GAme in Lake Placid - travel in extreme blizzard in a Honda Civic through the Adirondacks - pizza for dinner - pay for hotel across from Olympic Center
Saturday: Game at Chazy Lake, near Plattsburgh - 4 hours away. Eat at Subway on the way home
Sunday: Spend the entire day in comatose state in my recliner
Monday: Game at home against Ithaca in the afternoon


So, yesterday was Tuesday and I was able to finally work for the day. I had a berated customer leave me a message on my answering machine that came in from the next town over on Saturday when I wasn't there, but I was so panic stricken over having to drive in the blizzard to Lake Placid that I forgot to change my message to reflect the day off. I have missed so much work for hockey and my rent is due next week and I only have half the cash for it.

Today I'm working again to make up for the lost time and I have a basement full of presents for the kids that I haven't wrapped yet and I have pies to make and I have to find out when church is because this is the event I look most forward to on Christmas Eve - the only one of two times my kids will come to church with me (this and Easter) happily and I refuse to miss it. I'll be making ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner and I just don't know when I'll have time. Sigh...

I used to LOVE Christmas. Now its such an annoying inconvenience. My husband was supposed to help me but at the last minute his boss sent him to Buffalo yesterday. He's on his way home now, though, so should be able to help out when he gets home.

Ugh...I am SO looking forward to January.

Oh...Merry Christmas to those that are having a good time!! I just want my bottle of Bailey's for my coffee.

Hey tech, I have a mountain of stuff to do today too and I've already hit some delays.

I'm not gonna stress about it. What gets done, gets done, and what doesn't, doesn't. As you know, the real meaning of Christmas is not wrapped up in boxes and bags and stickered with tags. Take some time for a moment of peace and reflection.....hug your kids.....those are the things that really matter. Pies, not so much. I've realized that I obsess over the food for the holidays and the family really doesn't care as much about having 4 kinds of cookies, etc., as I do. So we'll make 2 kinds.

Hang in there. I wonder if the message of Christmas for some of us is not lost so much in the materialism of the season, but rather in the stress of it all. I think I'll bow out of the stress today....

I'm having our family and our closest friends main gathering on Saturday. We are a small family, just 9 total guests for dinner and a gift giving just for the Grand-baby. Lucky little gal!

The son, his wife and grand-baby will be here on Christmas day as they will visit friends in town and need a place to stay while they are in town.

I look forward to the family and friends visiting but am so glad to get through this holiday. I'm trying to make new memories with the new addition to the family because I had seemed to have lost my holiday spirit when my mother died in 1997. The holidays have not felt the same to me since then. I am working on making the holidays good for me again by creating lasting "Grand-ma" memories with the little ones.

You know, as I was blow drying my hair for work, I was thinking of the people in the world with much worse problems than me with hockey taking away all of my time for the essentials in my life...like Christmas. It the big picture, I know its not that big a deal. I'm just STRESSED and I'm looking forward to quiet time at church, lighting some candles for dearly departed friends/family I miss and my annual supply of bath salts I get every year from hubby. He gets socks. The rest goes to the kids, who we are ever so grateful for that they are healthy and happy. I guess I just need a little time to reflect. I'll do that over the roller sets I have coming in in a few minutes. My older customers always have a way of bringing me back down to earth to remember what is truly important.

You are killin' me TECH!

Not too long ago you were concerned your girl kiddo had nothing to do wasn't having any fun.

There will always be stress at Christmas....but as we mature we can see that the more we focus on the birth and not the stuff it becomes easier and more enjoyable.

I am so glad to see you going to church

Take a breath!

Merry Christmas!

Wow - incredible that hockey activities are pressed up so close to Christmas. How can that be easy for anyone.

What helps me get through times like this is to remember the "these are the times of my life". Hectic and crazy and exhausting as it is, these are the times that you will think back to and remember. Even while its driving you crazzzy , enjoy every bit of it you can.

And totally enjoy every second of the service.
Things don't have to be perfect. Be in the moment and let go of some things you think need to be done. Do them later, involve your kids, whatever you can.

Wrap packages less than perfectly or with the other kid.
Make the pies Christmas afternoon - even if they're for Christmas midday dinner.
Have the kids help make the ham and potatoes. Shift dinner to suppertime if you have to. Take a deep breath and enjoy being with your family.