This weekend was a good one. Angie came to visit this weekend and we both needed it so badly. Homemade pot pie, good conversation and a game of Rock Band after having an after dinner drink = A great day! That was Sunday and I can’t think of a better way to end my wonderful weekend.
I would say it has been the most relaxing weekend that I have had in sometime. It always seems that I have a list of a million things to do every weekend and because of that list and the pressure of so many things, nothing on the list gets accomplished.
So last week I had an idea of what I wanted to get done. I thought about how nice it would be to spend some quiet time in the house. Listen to some good music at home, wrap Christmas presents and maybe have some time to clear some of the clutter out of my life. You know, the pair of pants in the closet that I have never liked, the clothes that Madi was too big for LAST year and just the general stuff that multiplies as the weeks pass by. Before you know it they just become permanent fixtures in your life. This time of year is when I really start to notice those things. Mainly because we have a much smaller home and the thought of bringing in a 6 foot Christmas tree is a little daunting.
Things have to be rearranged and to do that you must get rid of something or more like several somethings. So that is what I did this weekend. I started to clear out the unwanted, the don’t have room for it anymore and the why the heck did I buy this - things. It felt good! It felt damn good! That made bringing in the tree so much more exciting. So much more festive than our 3 1/2 foot tree I put up last year. The new tree reminds me of my childhood for some strange reason and last night I sat on the couch, turned off all the lights, turned on the tree and promptly fell asleep on the couch. I did this when I was little and I even remember begging my mom to let me sleep under the tree in a sleeping bag. She said there was no way she was going to let me sleep under a tree. And I thought about this question last night. If Madi asked the same question I would say yes and I would even join her!
Since Madi was visiting family with Chris, I was able to be a little more productive. I was able to throw some things out, donate some items and just generally have some quiet time. I rearranged the living room to make room for the tree. Put it together (yes I am a very big fan of artificial trees) and plugged in the lights. I couldn’t decorate it without Madi and wouldn’t dare think of it. Okay…I did think of it once or twice because oh my gosh I have Christmas spirit. I am shocked really. I am truly thrilled about the holidays! I can’t wait for Madi to come home tonight and see what I have done with the house. I have the ornaments out and ready to be put on the tree. I have our obnoxious singing Christmas tree on the end table and Christmas candles ready to be lit.
The most amazing thing is I am actually putting lights and decorations outside this year and every year from this point on. I look out my side window while relaxing on my couch and see my neighbors spectacular Christmas display and it makes me smile. It makes me happy when I think about Madi’s reaction to it. She loves it! And now that the furniture is rearranged we can sit on the couch and look at it together without having to stand on each other’s heads.
This Christmas is going to be a good one. And I feel really good about the year to come. My life feels like it is back on track and this place that I am is exactly where I want to be. It is 1:30 in the afternoon and I only have a few hours before I get to see Ms. Madi’s eyes light up when she sees the house! If you are lacking Christmas spirit - hang around her for 10 minutes and just TRY to feel like the Grinch, you can’t do it!
