How True It Is Today

As we found ourselves Christmas shopping last night, I had a twinge of missing traditions from my younger years and wanting back some normalicy for what I always considered Christmas to be. Including early morning present opening at my parents house and waiting patiently on the stairs for my Grandparents to come through the school room to watch us tear into brightly wrapped packages under the tree. Being a a furious, but not so mad rush to get showered and dressed to go to my Grandparents house to see what Santa had left there. A fabulous lunch of ham and funeral potatoes eaten on paper Christmas plates and then off to the Hjorth family for some quality family time. Ahh...sigh of relief, that was Christmas. Since Miss Libbi, there are a few new families to visit and I find myself very stressed and stretched very thin to make sure that we spend quality time with everybody and contribute to all their traditions as we see fit. Gone are the restless moments at the top of the stairs, replaced are moments waiting for Libbi to wake up and open the presents that Santa so carefully picked out for her, hoping that I found just the right "surprise" present for Kyle since he likes to know well in advance what he's getting as to not be disappointed. I always surprise him, he hates it, I love it! Then off to Kyle's Grandma's for a morning with extended family and brunch. With a few moments of quiet downtime before we are off to spend some time with my family. We have a few other grandparents house to fit in, which include just a quick visit, but it is a necessity and I will always insist on it because I feel that family is one of the most important parts of growing up and I want Libbi to know all the people who love her and to feel like she has had some sort of relationship with her Great-Grandparents. I want Christmas to be perfect, but we always end up in a little tiff about time and where we are supposed to be at that moment. This morning, I came into work and read my horoscope listed below.

Saturday, December 20, 2008
Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22)
Perhaps you really thought that this holiday season would be different. And maybe, to a limited extent, it is. But it still might not match up to your vision of how you wanted to revitalize some of the old traditions that could put you in touch with your roots. Don't fret about a lost opportunity; there's no time like the present moment to begin. Create your own magical celebration and share it with someone special.

What a perfect description of my last month of worrying. I am ready to begin new family traditions with my little family and hopefully, one day, Libbi will remember those traditions and think that 'this' is Christmas.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and safe travels in your Christmas Traditions.