No Christmas Spirit Here

We have made a terrible mistake.

We decided that digging out the Christmas decorations and then packing them all back up this year would be way too much trouble with a newborn. So we decided not to put up a tree. But I thought we would at least decorate the mantle with our stockings and such, and get Bridget her stocking. But then I realized that finding just the mantle decorations would be the same amount of work - we’d have to dig through all the decorations to determine where the mantle decorations are - so we just blew off the whole thing. We didn’t even buy Bridget a stocking or the ornament I planned to buy her for her first Christmas. I just literally threw up my hands and turned my back on Christmas this year. And I hate it.

Jake’s mom was very sweet and sent a box of Christmas decorations for us to use to dress up our mantle. We did decorate with the things she sent and now the one room looks somewhat festive. But I want to go the long way out of the neighborhood at night, just so I can drive by the front of the house to see the lights! I want my tree! I want to go through all the ornaments and remember where and when we got each one! Our tradition is to buy an ornament or something to be used as an ornament whenever we travel anywhere. It’s always so much fun to rediscover them each year and talk about the trip when we got the ornament. I want it to feel like Christmas and it just doesn’t. Instead, our front room looks like a staging area with baby gear and a shit load of presents waiting to be wrapped. Maybe when Bridget is three I’ll have time to actually wrap some presents. Luckily, I don’t have to have anything wrapped until Sunday afternoon, so you can bet I’ll be putting it off until Sunday morning.

I want to have the time and energy to cook and bake, too. I have obligated myself to make some things for Christmas dinner at my parents’ house - nothing big just au gratin potatoes, cranberry sauce, spinach dip and a pumpkin pie. All of those things (except the potatoes which will be made at my parents’ house on Christmas Day) are easy to make and can each be done in the short span of time I have in between feeding the baby. So over the course of three feedings, I can get those done. I guess it sounds like a lot, but it’s not really. And maybe since I am now obligated to make these things and can’t just decide not to do it, I’ll begin to feel Christmas-y.

Luckily, we will be going to other people’s houses for everything so we can just mooch our holiday spirit off of their decorations.

Next year, I promise that Christmas will be a real event around here. It’s really depressing to do it like we have this year.

Filed under Random Ramblings |