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View Full Version : Christmas joys and stresses



Charla
12-11-2008, 10:07 AM
What are you enjoying about the season? What's stressing you out?

I love that Jasmine's starting to see the bigger reason for Christmas. Last year it was all about the tree. This year it's about Jesus' birthday. We're going to make a cake for him, we're doing two different advent calendars, and she's really enjoying the two nativity sets we have around the house (literally around the house; I think there's a piece or two in every room of the house :crazy:)
here's the calendar I made for them yesterday:
http://www.thedigichick.com/gallery/data/655/advent-calendar.jpg (http://www.thedigichick.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/138571)

I love the music, the lights, the decorations. I love the family time. I love giving gifts. I love giving and getting Christmas cards.

BUT....

We're celebrating with DH's family this weekend, and are still waiting on pins and needles to find out if one of the big presents will be shipped in time :wacko:

And the girls have decided the tree is a good thing to tackle. We tried putting non-breakable ornaments on the bottom of the tree, but there are some hooks on some of them and I Just really don't want to end up on Rescue! 911 over them. So this is what our tree looks like now:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/berekah_44/no-tree.jpg
And I think we'll skip putting it up next year. With the girls and then with an 8-month old, I think it's safer just to leave it away for a few years. Because I can't take the stress. It's taking away all the joy of walking in to a room with a lit tree. (edit: that's not really going to happen. I know we'll figure out something next year, just some sort of a blockade. I really can't imagine not having a tree!)

And DH seems to be reacting negatively to sugar. We're starting to think it's related to his sinuses, but whatever the reason, I'm scared to make Christmas cookies. But I love Christmas cookies. And you know that whenever you tell a pregnant woman she can't have something, she'll immediately get strong cravings for that thing :crazy: I think I'm going to make some still, just not as many. Because it's Christmas.

AND....
My camera is on the fritz. THe problem I had when I first got it (it's a refurb, and one of the buttons I tried but don't need to use made things goof up) is acting up again. It seems okay at the moment, but I'm terrified it will quit halfway through Christmas and I'll be stuck with our P&S for the rest of the season. So I'm praying it holds out until after Christmas, and then I can send it in for repairs.

Okay, your turn :giggle:

crazygirl
12-11-2008, 11:03 AM
we sold our house.
and have to be out by the 29th.
and we just put an offer on another house.
and are hoping to hold both closings at the same time.
i'm stressing over packing, cleaning and moving.

but i'm thankful that we are finished christmas shopping, that i have lots of family and friends around to help me pack and move and clean.
we are so blessed to be able to spend this last christmas in this house (the only home my children know) together.
i think it will be a special one.

but i'm excited to get a new house AND go to CHA.... the 2 best christmas presents EVER!

sinead
12-11-2008, 01:27 PM
ok, I'll have to come back and read these posts in more detail later, but OMG that tree looks like ours did a few years ago! Last year and this year we just did our prelit tree with some of those gold bells (silver this year) hanging from the branches. That way nothing breaks and the lights pick up the pretty metal of the bells. The bells are big enough that the kids won't choke on them... I'll try to take a pic later.

gonewiththewind
12-11-2008, 03:34 PM
I love Christmas this year. Daniel is 3 1/2 and is really into Christmas ~ singing songs, talking about Santa coming, playing with his nativity set, talking about Jesus. Olivia is showing such Christmas spirit, talking about what she wants to do for others rather than just about what she is getting.

There are always stresses ~ for instance, we've put up my MIL's decorations, our decorations, my mom's decorations and tonight we are putting up my aunt's decorations. For goodness sake. Can't someone else step in and do it? My mom's tree "died" ~ some of the wires were pinched in two, I guess from when the tree was packed away ~ so she's opted just for a table top this year. That's great, but she still has TONS of other Christmas decorations.

I'm really trying to stay focused on the positive, though, 'cause the stresses aren't going away and dwelling on them makes me crazy!

nicoleseitler
12-11-2008, 03:50 PM
I'm thinking our tree might look the same with Mr. Trouble in our family. The "Terrible Twos" suddenly seems to mean "Destroy Everything Left Unattended" at our house. Eek! I shutter to think...

I'm really looking forward to doing a little shopping this year. I want to find lots of little presents for the kids this year--like new crayons and paper and candy... more like a "Stocking Stuffer Overflow"--with one bigger present for each. Ooo... I have NO idea what to get my hubby. Eek! Anyway, with moving and all, I feel out of it and I'm itching to go "treasure hunting" for some fun little gifts. :D

LOVE your calendar. I'd love to make one like that one year... Fun, fun!

sinead
12-11-2008, 04:13 PM
Jacque, congrats on the new house!

I just posted my Christmas dilemma in a new thread. Here it is: Help with a 5 yr old! (http://www.thedigichick.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22407) PLEASE PLEASE chime in with any suggestions.