Thursday, December 19, 2013

Big Boy Bike





No, this isn't an early Christmas present. It's a pristine hand-me-down. I finally found a small window of time  yesterday to start putting Christmas lights outside while the older two kids watched the baby. Audrie pulled out this tricycle, set it in a pile of leaves, and watched August air pedal to his heart's content.

 Every year I tell myself that I'm going to have all of my Christmas shopping done by October, I'm going to hand make all of my ornaments, have my cards sent out by the 1st of December, and I'm going to drape our house in lights,Clark Griswold style. And every year I find myself shopping for presents just days before Christmas, sending out Happy New Year cards, and throwing a string of lights on some bushes. It's my fault. I over think everything. I want every gift to have a special meaning. I want the lights to be spectacular. I want the cards to be perfect. I want us to sit around a fire in Christmas sweaters, sipping hot chocolate, stringing popcorn and cranberries together. Then, when I can't find those perfect gifts, or have a whole light show synchronized to Christmas music like my neighbors [seriously], or my Christmas card order is delayed, or I find myself alone in my studio trying to make crafts without my children, I end up scrambling to get it all done. I'm slowly learning to let things go. It's okay if my Christmas presents don't have significant meaning, or if my cards are late, or if I don't make any Christmas crafts, or sit around a fire, or sip hot chocolate. I don't even own a Christmas sweater. 
And it's okay if I only got one string of lights thrown on a bush because I decided to stop and watch the baby play with his new old trike. As it turned out, Audrie and Finn did a wonderful job putting up the rest of the lights [and making memories] while I got some shopping done. 

And if the kids want to see spectacular Christmas lights, we'll just walk to the neighbors.

xo
nessa dee

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