what gets left behind

So this morning I am wrapping gifts.  That's why I am now blogging, because I was immediately overwhelmed just getting out the wrap, bags, ribbon, etc.

I thought to myself, how did I do all of this when my girls were home all day, every day?  I didn't do all the gifts - for the girls many of their gifts I did a scavenger hunt and left them unwrapped, figuring the game would be the fun part of getting the gift.  Really, it was I was so exhausted from the gifts and cards to everyone else, I had nothing left.  No time left, either.  And my girls - the ones who Christmas was most exciting for - were the ones who only had a few wrapped gifts, and the rest they had to search for.

Working moms or moms home with little ones should have at least one day during the Christmas season where they have nothing else on their plate  - or children at their ankles - besides Christmas preparations.  More than one day would be preferable, but really, who's even going to get the one.

I read on fb today that one mom is cutting Christmas cards, and a suggestion from one of her friends was to do New Years or Valentines instead.  Brilliant!  Wish I had thought of that a few years ago!

But this year, I have time to do cards, and to wrap - and do so joyfully.  I have been the one in our marriage to buy every gift, sign every card, wrap every present from the mailman to my in-laws.  I actually love being the one to do it - but admittedly, when the girls were little it was just so tough!  And it's hard when you do something just-good-enough-to-pass when your real self, not the tired, stressed one, wants to say, wrap it  beautifully with gorgeous ribbon instead of throw it in a bag.

So I will get back to my wrapping now, with a smile because I don't have a child underfoot asking me if it's okay that she pooped in her dollbaby's pretend diaper.  I may step on a few Cheerios left on the floor from breakfast, because my kids do still live here after all, and my house is a royal dump.  I am thinking of you today Moms - you working moms trying to cram it all in on the weekend, or you SAHMs trying to stay awake long enough past 8pm to write out a few Christmas cards.

Leave some stuff behind - think about what's really important that needs done.  I wish I could go back, and wrap all of my kids gifts...although I guess they don't remember and it doesn't matter.  But it does to me...the message in my mind of the mom I was at that time was I was choosing pleasing others before pleasing my daughters.  I was putting others expectations of me before making their Christmas as magical as I could.

So this year, I think I'm going to wrap their gifts first.