December

As much as I have tried to ignore it, and pretend it’s not happening, it’s apparently now the 6th day of December 2016, and there’s nothing that we can do but bask in all her Decemberyness. Yep, that’s a word.

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We got all the decorations and the tree up on the weekend and while it’s all Yay! Christmas! Pine smell! Pretty! I couldn’t help but think of all the other things that December can be too.

Like the kid on the floor in this shot that literally cannot get up. Even though the couch is you know, right there.

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While January can be the shittest month of all (for me personally anyway) I think that December has a certain something too. All in the one month we have:

  • Exhaustion from end of School year stuff
  • Endless catch ups and presentations and concerts and the like
  • Did I mention feral kids who are TIRED?
  • The build up to Christmas and that inevitable deadline which means…
  • Work deadlines to get done before the end of year comes around which can be budgets and this and that
  • Christmas presents to source and fund
  • Christmas parties to host and fund
  • Extra time with families and friends who we may not see all that often (or necessarily get on with)
  • Threats of bad behaviour to Santa
  • THE BIG DAY
  • Dealing with bad behaviour after the big day without having Santa to back us up
  • The exhaustion that follows the big day
  • A coma that we fall into between the 26th-31st
  • And then the inevitable reflection of what could/should have been, feelings of disappointment
  • Happiness/sadness that another year is over

Is it any wonder we are all so bloody frazzled in December? I am! From a distance it can all look put together and “perfect” but if you look closer you will see that things are not quite what they seem.

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Some of us a little broken, held together with tape and broken noses.

Some of us just ready to crawl up into a ball and be woken in January.

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I’m getting a little more in tune with myself and my emotions at any given time. I’m giving myself some space to say no to things, to maybe not get those home made things done this year, and be OK with it. I’m tired, man we are all so tried, let’s cut ourselves some slack.

I hope that in amongst all this madness, the wind up of school or a work year, the realisations of goals met or not met, the setting of new ones, that we allow ourselves to stop and enjoy December for it’s madness. Slow down and be caught up in an old memory of Christmas joy gone by: whether it’s in hearing a song playing in the supermarket, the smell of the fresh pine tree in your lounge room, the unwrapping of an ornament from years ago, the hug of a family member or friend, the giggle of a little one excited about Christmas.

Let’s resign ourselves to a little of December’s joy, rather than focus on the madness and to do lists and tiredness and concerts. Turn the lights off and still feel that excitement at a twinkling light.

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We’ve all done well this year, we have. I mean, we made it through almost, even with David Bowie being dead and Donald bloody Trump as the President Elect. The lights on the trees will still sparkle. The carols will keep playing in the supermarkets. And even if we don’t feel up to it, a little Christmas joy may creep into our hearts.

December, I see you. Man I FEEL you, and with resigned joy, I will bask in your twinkly glory.

How do you feel about Christmas being so close?
Are you exhausted? Excited? Sad?

Comments

  1. I am at the stage where we are all so exhausted that I pray for rain each and every afternoon so that the events/activities/parties/training/sports/catchups/stuff will be cancelled and we can just hang at home – desperate righ? I am trying to cement this feeling onto my brain so that I no longer stuffer for over-commitmentitis next year

  2. I still feel tired, but also less grinchy after reading this.

    May the Decemberyness work some magic on my heart.

  3. You have summed it up so well! For me this year, we are heading off trekking and will be away from family and friends and Christmas madness. Santa has already been to our house. We have shared the Christmas crackers and the Christmas pudding. We have exchanged a few gifts and posted off the ones to the interstate family who will enjoy the madness together. We are still dealing with end of year activity burnout and will probably load two tired children onto the plane on Friday. While I’m sad to miss out on seeing family I’m quite happy that we are taking our kids somewhere really special and the focus will be on being together rather than getting stuff (hopefully).

  4. I love December because my office closes between Christmas and New Year so HOLIDAYS and NOT BEING AT WORK plus I love school holidays- (sure it’s hard when your school doesn’t have vacation care a la 1971 but with judicious planning it can work)- no packed lunches, no school run, no rushing to after school care, no home work, no uniforms…Bliss. Am so excited not to have to fight for a park in the crowded streets outside the school for the next 8 weeks. Everyone’s feeling celebratory and mellow and I love all the catch ups. Have 3 this weekend, Goody. I did all my Christmas shopping and sent 120 cards a few weeks ago, and you know the trees have been up since October, but I can see it would be stressful if you left it all late. Which is why I try to do everything in advance. I’ve planned my Christmas Eve table and my menu and had a trial run of both. I wish I could make the month last longer actually. Wishing you lots of relaxation and good times. Love the tree, looks so pretty x

  5. Lisa Mckenzie says

    Great post Beth you’ve summed it up perfectly Xx

  6. Exhausted! After many, many, many years of pushing myself, rushing from one persons thing to the next, trying to please every person I know, except myself of course, I’m buggered.
    I don’t even want to do christmas this year, it is all too much. But it will happen and I will do it, but this year, my way. There will be things that just don’t happen, there will be much purchased rather than home made and I suspect there may even be a tantrum from me. It will be quiet and less, and if anyone complains well they will be delegated the chance to do it next year.
    I’ve turned into such a grinch since becoming the adult who makes it happen, I long for those magical childhood christmas’ when I had no idea of the work behind the scenes. Sadly my mum died years ago so i can;t even tell her I understand now and thank her for all that she did to create that magic.

  7. What baffles me the most out of all these December- Christmassy pictures I see of everyone’s is how the hell do people with toddlers have christmas trees up AND covered in ornaments no less???!!! If I did that my almost 2 year old would gave the tree flattened and ornaments squashed within 33 seconds…

    • Haha yes exactly!! I still haven’t put mine up for this reason. We only have a smallish tree and I bought a set of lights from Kmart which feel rubbery (and the end bits can’t be pulled off) and a felt garland thingy as decoration. I might put it up tonight and see how we go. I’m not game to try bauballs!

    • I have a 2yo and a 3yo and this is our first year with our tree on the floor (in the past we’ve just had a tiny one on the mantle piece!) and 3 days in…they’ve been, um, ok? The 3yo loves it, but they’ve both just been put to bed for a nap because they were playing catch with a couple of baubles ? the key is to use cheap ones and if they get broken…toss them in the bin and don’t feel bad! Admittedly, I may feel differently by Christmas Day!

    • It’s funny, Maggie has been good and stayed away. Well, much like the fire, she gets a good warning, then stays away.

  8. a great post thanks beth
    good on you for helping us sort things good and bad,
    and everything in between!
    much love m:)X
    I love that broken fairy!

  9. All of the bloody above!! This year has been a shocker for most people that I know, so keen to finish work for the year (two more weeks to go), and head off on holidays! Love your tree by the way xx

  10. No kids here (sob – they left home years ago), BUT I’m working up until Christmas Eve eve. AND we have a full on Christmas Day and then 40+ people to feed on Boxing Day (lunch and dinner. Though really dinner is just a cold version of lunch with a couple of loaves of bread on the table).

    I am yet to buy a present or put up a tree … but it will happen … it always does. I’ve done lots of cooking and have it stashed in the freezer and the last minute stuff will be – well, last minute I guess.

    I’ve said yes to some things and no to others and I’m happy with that. I refuse to let it get on top of me … though it often does.

    Merry Christmas to all. Enlist help!!

  11. I’ve been to so many dance concerts this year I’d give that American woman a run for her money… we are still in the thick of a 6 day back to back dance performance week.. ffs.. 6!!! Really. So the feralness is extreme from all of us & to top it off hubby takes off OS for a week of work.. no , no problem I’ve got this ….. but. The trees up & looks so beautiful at night amongst all the other bits n bobs I have around…. I even decorated the drive so the little kids can see it from the street… colour theme sorTed for the big day dishes delegated bubbles ordered or chilling … yes & NO’s for invites sent…. presents ticked off…. I do love the “silly” season such an appropriate name for us this year. Here’s to a happy & safe one peeps ???❤️??

  12. The end of year is so exhausting. It’s also my favourite time of year, family, twinkling lights and carols. It all gives me the warm fuzzies inside.

  13. I’m excited because after a terrible year with health issues my husband is going in for Surgery for a new hip! It is the best present although sounds hideous. We’ve been sparked by the good news and put the tree up early and did our shopping online!

  14. Since we were kids (I’m now nearly 50) our family’s Christmas angel, whilst not broken, has turned and shown us her arse – no matter how many houses or how many trees she’s graced. We’ve stopped trying to fix her balance or position, now we just laugh and say “well, you’ve summed up yet another year perfectly darl!” It has given me very great joy and delight to see another imperfect angel that is still loved – isn’t that each and every one of us after all??

  15. Great post, I’m so stressed, and panicked about my lists, the concerts, the parties, the presents, the people and all the lunches.. It would be easier to stop for a minute, let even a tiny bit of it go, and allow myself to relax and feel some of the good stuff even just for an hour or so here and there. Thanks for permission.

  16. Well, our Christmas tree is still in a box, in the lounge, because no one has had time to actually put it up yet, the girls love doing it and will do it but its been a week and they still haven’t had a clear couple of hours where they are both home to make a start on it! However, its not a biggie, we’re pretty relaxed about such things 😉

    We decided, after a particularly bad Christmas 21 years ago (I know it was 21 years ago because said baby is turning 21yo 5 days before Christmas this year!), that we would spend Christmas Day on our terms, with just our family (otherwise read as NO in-laws and the drama they bring (my family get together Boxing Day)), so for 21 years we’ve had a lovely relaxed, no pressure, time – one of my proudest things as a mother is that my children love Christmas, even now as young adults, and it is the Christmas “spirit” they seem to embrace, not expensive presents and sitting down using their best manners at a Christmas table full of must-have Christmas food. Whole lot of rambling to say – relax and enjoy, forget all the “shoulds” and enjoy the simple things you can do without stressing – works for us 🙂

    As an aside – two years ago I decided the kids were all grown up enough to put up with said Mother-in-law and we should do the right thing and invite them out Christmas Day for our usual BBQ, I thought it went well, that mother and father in-law seemed to enjoy themselves and we all survived. Last year, they came out and visited just before Christmas and I heard all about how much she detests Christmas, that it always ends in arguing, that she’d rather not bother with it at all (yes, very bitter lady) – kind of made me wonder why I bothered, she’d obviously forgotten only a year before that it all (I thought) went pretty well!

  17. Oh I love it even if I am feeling a little tired already. Doesn’t help we throw in the girls’ birthday into the mix (12 Dec) so we have that to distract us from the main event. We are heading to family up north for Christmas this year so extra complications of moving the whole shebang in 2 cars. I now try to stop work mid-Dec so I have a week before Christmas to relax and prepare. Luckily the girls are still at care for 2 of those days so I can prep kids free! But yes I have said no to two events we could have dragged the girls to because I know we pay for it the next day (he’ll even the next week!) I hope you find moments to enjoy amongst the rush and melt downs!

  18. I love all of this. Let’s go easy through the next few weeks, lord knows we deserve it! X

  19. Battling with balancing the joy and sorrow of only us four for Christmas. We will be in the middle of packing to move to a new town so plan to focus on that new adventure. New town, new house, new school, new job. Whew!!!

    Holidaying first — leave for Stradbroke Island tomorrow. It is so badly needed – we were last away in July 2015 and that is just not enough time off.

  20. I AM POOPED!

    New baby, new business – no holidays in sight!

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