I seem to have an
issue with Christmas this year, and I’m not sure why. You know how every year
people talk about doing less work and enjoying the holidays more. That is what
I’m doing this year, except I keep making adjustments.
I have yet to decorate our house. I’m a little afraid of
Josh’s dog and a Christmas tree. I hate undecorating! I’m starting to wonder if
I can just not decorate at all. Then I have this nagging voice in the back of
my head saying that is wrong. Although they may be teenagers, I still have
children, therefore I should decorate. Now I’m just waiting for one of my kids
to mention the fact that we have not decorated, and so far nobody has said a
word.
Then I thought I was going to get out of teacher gifts. (Not
because we don’t appreciate our teachers, just it is a lot of work.) But this
weekend Josh mentioned doing gifts for his teacher and then Hailey jumped on
board. So yesterday, I quickly made gifts. They took them to school today.
I’m pretty sure I am free of Christmas baking between all of
Hailey’s food allergies and some of us on a diet.
The last big Christmas thing at our house (besides Christmas
itself and gifts) is our annual Christmas card and letter. I started out saying
absolutely no way this year. Then I remembered we have one doctor that it seems
to mean a lot to get our card each year. He emails me a thank you, shows it to
me when I come to his office, and talks about how so few of his patients send
him cards. (You may want to think about sending your doctor a card.) So now I
feel compelled to do Christmas cards. Which starts my real problem, it is the
same every year. I go through my phone, IPAD, etc. and discover we have taken
absolutely no real pictures of our children all year. We have a handful of
photographs of injuries, a couple of Ashley sleeping (it happens so rarely,
evidently it needs to be captured in photograph), Hailey being weird with
friends or shopping. Josh holding his dog, minus a shirt. That is all the
pictures! Then I think, how do we go all year without taking pictures, this is
ridiculous! So I attempt to take a picture of each child specific for the card,
and rediscover why we have no pictures. My family hates having their picture
taken with a passion. First, I approach Hailey. She said no thank you. I said
fine, I’ll use something I have. She got lucky. She went to a dinner/dance this
year and I took one picture of her alone. Focus on her and not the disastrous
house around her, please. Next, Ashley, no waking pictures. So I attempt to
photograph or torture her, whatever you want to call it. 1 hour, much head
banging, biting, yelling and 150 pictures later I have one picture that
although she looks angry, it will have to work. I apologized to her and moved
on to Josh. It was almost as bad as Ashley. He can’t smile upon command, stand
still, or look at a camera. This is why I do not take pictures of my children.
It is a horrible process. School pictures go bad, photographers have to give us
more than one session, and they are beyond the age of looking cute just because
they exist. So this year I am presenting the worst Christmas card pictures I
have ever shown because I’m done messing with it. All of this is for one doctor!
However, there will be no letter. This is my letter. Everyone is alive and
doing great, but may never be photographed again!
I am tired and lazy this year. I’m so glad my kids were too
old when the elf on the shelf craze began! Maybe if I can get a really long
nap, I will feel better about all of it.
