That’s a Wrap

A new year marks the beginning of a lot of things. It also marks the end of just as many things. Namely, it marks the end of the holiday season. I hope you, your family, your friends, and your enemies knew a fabulous end to the year 2018.As you know three small kids are keeping me incredibly busy. (because I infrequently blog and when I do I mention how swamped I am every time) Despite copious amounts of daily chores and un-copious amounts of sleep, my family and I managed to have some fun since the last time I’ve written.Kids have a lot to learn. One of the things I love teaching them about are holidays and traditions. It’s a tough concept to deliver, but I think the girls are getting the hang of it. Thanksgiving is easy. Christmas is a bit tricky as you dance between Jesus and St. Nick. Hanukkah and Kwanzaa prove even trickier, just like all other holidays that are important but I don’t celebrate. This is where the library comes in handy. My favorite books this season were The Christmas Song: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story.

As I’m sure it was for you, December was a busy month for us. Just like last year, I kept the girls active with learning carols, baking cookies, and making their own holiday greeting cards and crafts. I even found time for a little Christmas sock bedazzling myself. We decorated the staircase with garland and the tree with ornaments. The kids were relieved to not have to make their own tree this year, just some ornaments.And Santa came to visit us in a fire truck!! The fire department of Westminster, CO, facilitates visits from Santa one night early in December on a vintage fire truck. Our name and address were drawn out of random for a visit. Luckily, this was a year the girls weren’t too afraid of him. They still wouldn’t sit on his lap, but they did take a lollipop and ask him for dolls.

In addition to bedazzled socks, one of the gifts the girls received this year was snowboarding lessons. I’m proud to say we’ve had three days at Keystone so far. And if that doesn’t seem busy enough we also participated in a book chainmail letter. Since I have a boy and girls I decided to fill two book chain slots. For those of you that have never heard of this before, allow me to explain. It’s essentially a pyramid scheme for kids to get books in the mail. You mail the kid before you one book, you forward the letter on to six people, and your kid gets 36 books in the mail. So far we have received one book!! (Thank you Nora, it was one of your people) One more book and I break even. (I’m sure some of you are laughing at this…and you should.) Honestly, it was more work than I thought, but it was totally worth it when we got a book in the mail from a stranger with a really nice note.

Santa, after our first visit from him, ended up at our house two days late. Phil was working, and the girls (luckily) are still working on their concept of time. Nonetheless, fun was had by all. I made my famous Christmas chili and cornbread with the kids, we played some reindeer games after dinner like hide the snowman and what rhymes with Christmas, set out the cookie plate and reindeer food, and woke up to a few filled stockings and wrapped presents.

We didn’t have a white Christmas, but we did have a white new year. To celebrate we made hats and tiaras, because it isn’t a New Year party if you don’t have something silly on your head. In lieu of staying up until midnight we went to a Noon Year’s Eve Party at the Denver Children’s Museum. It was a lot of fun. Snacks were eaten, instruments were played, and more crafts were made. At noon we went outside (in the freezing cold) for a mini dance party and a ball drop. After the countdown we all ran out onto a massive pad of bubble paper and confetti falling from the sky. The kids were very amazed and excited. For the rest of the day they practiced counting down and yelling, “Happy New Year!”For the kids January marks the end of Christmas decorations, greeting card slave labor, caroling, and naughty/nice reminders. With Christmas 2018, and New Year’s Day 2019, in the books, the girls are already planning their Valentine’s Day and Easter. Little do they know there are a slew of holidays in between. They are also looking forward to wearing sandals, eating ice cream, and camping.For me January marks the end of goals I never completed, and allows me to throw away all the mistakes I made in 2018. I am not the mom of a new born anymore, I’m never wearing maternity clothes again, and my toddlers are acting like adults. January marks the beginning of a new chapter as an artist. I’ve got some new ideas I’m itching to explore and there’s an old idea (or two) I’d like to continue to work on. It’s also a chance to set some ambitions for mental and emotional clarity. I’d like to free myself from the same old excuses, complaints, and negative thoughts that consistently try to dominate my brain…and not create any new ones.

It feels good to write again. I appreciate this space to share my happenings with you. As always, I’m delighted you read this. If any of you have fun holiday traditions and games (for any holiday) please share them. I’d be glad to enjoy them with my own family.