Trying to Get Rid of My Holiday Stress. Oh! And an Update on My Contest Entry.

So before I start my post, I must tell you that I did something very brave today.  I printed out my 50 page entry for the unpublished novel contest.  It is sitting right in front of me, and I am looking at it as I type my post.  I am taking it to mail it out right before I pick Joshua up from school. 

It was both scary and exciting printing out those pages.  Scary, because now that they are printed out, and I have made my check out, I kind of feel like I can't go back.  But also really exciting, because I wrote a whole book!  I still can't believe that.  And it actually was pretty cool to look at my words printed out on paper rather than looking at them on a computer screen.  Fifty pages is a lot of pages!  I was surprised how heavy it felt in my hands.  So anyway, wish me luck on the contest!  And you'll still love me, even if I don't become a finalist, right? 

I started writing a post about how much stress I'm feeling about the upcoming holidays.  There is so much to do.  We've decorated, but that's about it.  And Joshua only has about a week and a half left of preschool till he's out for break.  You know.  If you're picking up what I'm putting down, here. . .

And so I started to write about all that.  But why would I do that?  It will only stress me more.  So instead, I'm going to do what any other normal person would do right now.  I'm totally going to bury my head in the sand and pretend that I've got everything under control.  (Please tell me that is what you are doing too.  Don't tell me that you've had all your Christmas shopping done since the day after Christmas last year.  Because that will just make me irritated with you and add more stress to my brain.  And then my poor brain will explode, and you'll have to come visit me in the hospital and bring me a huge present for doing that to me.  OK?)

In the spirit of burying my head in the sand, I'm going to think about all the things I really enjoy about the Christmas season that I don't have to do.  That I can just be part of and enjoy.  I'm thinking. 

Hang on.  I'm still thinking. . .

There must be something.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?

I seriously can't think of any part of Christmas that I am not involved with on some level.  I generally buy and wrap most all of the presents.  I usually take Joshua to see Santa.  Jamey does sometimes come with me for that.  But I am always part of that.  I have to make all the meal preparations.  And I usually do most of the decorating.  Isn't there anything?  OK.  Never mind. 

No wonder my last nerve is shot by Christmas Day.  But you know what?  I still love it.  Stress and all.  Because I loooooooooove watching my kid open up all his presents from Santa.  I love watching the wrapping paper fly all around the room.  (Last year, I couldn't find Jamey after we'd cleaned up all the wrapping paper, and I seriously wondered if I'd put him out in our recycling bin.  Lucky for all of us, he'd just gone upstairs for a few minutes.)  You all know that when it comes down to it, I love all the baking, and the cooking, and the fun of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

I love watching his innocence about the magic of Santa Claus.  I love hearing him sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and eating the birthday cake we make for Him.  I love the lights, the music, the feelings that come with it. 

So I'll take the stress thank you very much.  It's all worth it in the end. 

Happy day to you all!