Holiday Happenings

What are your plans for the holidays? They're just around the corner you know!

If you're in the US, you should be ready for Thanksgiving which is in just a couple of days! If you're in Canada, you've got a bit a of a break because Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone...it's not much of a break mind you, because Christmas is just a mere 31 days away!

What would you like your Christmas holiday to be like this year? Is it always chaotic and do you wish for peace? Is it always peaceful and quiet and you'd like to have a bit more noise about you this year?

This year, we are going for a peaceful holiday. DD will have either just had or be soon heading in for open heart surgery and I think a little peace would be a good thing...either before all the excitement of surgery or as some much needed downtime after surgery.

To that end, we're not going anywhere. My parents are in Nova Scotia and the idea of a plane ride (and all those horrible germs in an enclosed space) is not at all appealing. My parents understand of course...they know we can't compromise our daughter's health. Scott's parents are just and hour down the road, so it's not that much of a hike, but it's my thinking that once you have children of your own, you shouldn't have to stress about which house you'll be at or which side of the family you'll be visiting. Christmas should be about those that are most important to you...and while your extended family is certainly VERY important, your first priority should be your immediate family - the people you live with every day.

This year, I'd like to start a few new traditions. The kids are already talking about watching Scrooge on Christmas Eve and I think that's a GREAT idea. We'll add that to the list. I'd like to make Christmas cookies in the week leading up to Christmas. The kids will be off a whole week before Christmas day and what better way to spend the week than making some goodness that everyone can enjoy. I don't know how many cookies will make it to Christmas day, but that isn't the point. The point is, we'll be doing it as a family...and if the cookies are all eaten by Christmas day, then we'll just make more!

I want to continue some old traditions too...when my sister and I were younger, my mom always bought us matching PJ's for Christmas. Our children don't get matching PJ's, but everyone gets a new pair of PJ's. They are wrapped and are the one gift we ALL (even me) get to open on Christmas Eve. Everyone wears new PJ's to bed. I make sure they have at least SOME matching colours in them because the scrapbooker in me wants to make my life easier come scrapbooking time in January!

I want to take more pictures! Last year, we went to Disney World and the year before that Christmas was a less than festive event. I want more pictures! I want to photograph favourite ornaments (not just mine) and record the reasons WHY they are favourites.

For the past few years, Santa has been bringing "bags" instead of filling stockings. Why? I can't find the darn stockings! So this year, I'm buying new ones! If I can, I'll have them personalized with names too! Our family is complete, so I don't need to worry about not being able to find a matching stocking for a baby that might be coming later. This is the year!

I want to make more gifts this year...and not at the last minute either! I seem to have these great ideas every year and then never follow through on them. This year I want to start early and make gifts for the kids teachers and my friends. It's hard to make gifts for the kids because they want the latest and greatest toys...not that they will get everything they see on TV, but they certainly aren't the type to appreciate hand made gifts. I most definitely do NOT want to go overboard. We've bought some gifts already and that is going a long way to not going over budget and breaking the bank in the month of December.

This year, organization will be my friend...I'll start early and avoid all that last minute stress. This is especially important if DD will be in the hospital prior to the actual holiday. The good thing is that she is crafty like me...so while she is recovering we can make gifts together!

That's it for me...what's on tap for you?