The Holiday Season is Upon Us - Pace Yourselves 'Teau Mothers!

My neighbors are stringing Christmas lights and Thanksgiving hasn't even reared its lovely head yet! Granted, they are gorgeous lights and I’m going to get mine ready next weekend, but seeing them reminded me that I’m not ready to think about mother’s busiest five weeks of the year – the weeks leading up to Christmas!

As we head into the season that can drive a sane woman to the brink of too much Chardonnay too often, I implore you women to pace yourselves. Don't burn out this Thursday at Thanksgiving or you won't recover in time for Christmas, not to mention that the weeks leading up to the Big Day will be less productive if you are tired going into this. On Thanksgiving, let others bring food to your house, allow the children to eat candy before dinner if it makes your life better and please tell your friends ‘yes’ when they offer to do that mountain of gravy-smeared dishes. When Thanksgiving is over for another year, put your feet up, watch your favorite TV show and take a day or two to relax. After all, the next month is going to be similar to running a marathon without the Gatorade and accolades.

Yipee! Christmas is around the corner. I do not refer to it as the generic ‘holiday season’ or Festivus, or any other name to include everyone. Sorry. To me, it’s Christmas--my favorite holiday of the year. This is when we prepare for Santa's visit and shop for gifts, as well as celebrating the birth of one of history’s most influential figures, who we still talk about 2,000 years later. Santa and all that goes with it is a bonus, tacked onto the age-old celebration, like whipped cream on cocoa. It’s the time of year to haul a tree inside the house, string lights and enjoy a jolly atmosphere. It's a time to eat cookies, sing carols, wrap presents, hope for snow and decorate the house with garlands and pictures of the kids on Santa's lap from days gone by. It’s when we see extended family members, gather friends together for parties and to take a moment to laugh and celebrate life. It's the one time of the year (besides Mother's Day) to say ‘Thank-you’ to whoever organizes these awesome family moments. Because, you see, Christmas doesn't just magically happen. Not really. (Not at all). Christmas is very hard work for mothers.

That’s why so many of us moms get massages on January 2nd and why you can’t get a pedicure appointment the week kids go back to school. We need some pampering about that time and deservedly so. Down-time is essential if we are expected to make it to Valentine's Day and through to Easter. It’s darned tiring putting this holiday stuff together but, of course, we love doing it for our families.

Christmas is a magical time, based on tradition and rooted in family values. I love the way otherwise nasty personalities are transformed by Christmas. (Scrooge-- and others I have known). It’s a time of year to be nicer than usual. It’s also a time to enjoy benevolence. Or to teach it to your children --like donating a goat to a village in Africa on behalf of Grandma and Grandpa.

Or sponsoring a family who's down on their luck in the Seattle area. From experience, I can tell you that your children will never forget how grateful another family is for presents and basic food (possibly unlike your own family members who don’t get everything on their Christmas lists and have a snit fit). One year we actually took the presents to the family and got to visit with them, to see their faces when we gave them presents. Our gift, in return, was the ability to teach our children what the spirit of giving is all about. 

Or, giving can be just picking out the perfect pair of Cookie Lee Earrings for a mother who's worked so very hard all year picking up clothes and toys. This is another act of simple kindness.(hint) 

Make lists when possible, take time to breathe, don't go overboard on too many toys and remember that no one will remember if the napkin rings all matched for Christmas dinner but they will remember if the hostess was wound tighter than a drum and drank too much.

Moms, get to your stations, arm yourselves with cookbooks and ToysRUs catalogues and prepare for the busiest five weeks of the year.

On your mark, get set, Go!