How I'm Letting Go This Holiday (aka: Why I let the hubby string the Christmas lights)

I thought giving up our hosting duties at Thanksgiving would give us a more relaxed Christmas. Nope. Instead, I left my parents' house and started panicking that I had made a terrible mistake to spend Christmas two states away in our own home. I have instead spent the last week feeling crappy and therefore wondering how I'll ever have the time to get "everything" done to make this a wonderful, Norman Rockwell holiday for our little nuclear family.

And then, when I got to thinking about it while struggling with how to rearrange our furniture to fit our Christmas tree (small house + toddler means not a lot of realistic options) and fighting with the Christmas lights, I could not define specifically what "everything" was. So I took a deep breath, let the hubby put the lights on the tree, took over the task of feeding peanut his snack and made a commitment to give up all unnecessary tasks. The only things making it through are the ones that allow our family to enjoy this time together.

Let me point out that this is not an easy decision to make. I am an admitted control freak (I can already hear my mom, dad and sister raising their eyebrows and chortling in unison). Letting the hubby put the lights on the Christmas tree was a big deal for me. The lights are my favorite part and I like them done a certain way. After only a few butt-in comments, I can say, he did a great job and I could focus on getting the rest of the decorations out so we could all spend a nice, quiet dinner together.

So I passed my first challenge. The second was deciding to give up the Christmas letter. Our year hasn't been THAT interesting to make a run-of-the-mill letter compelling and so I've decided to not spend the time brainstorming some creative way to share our adventures that will only stress me out and occupy my thoughts day and night. Who knows what the next challenge will be, but I am confident that as long as I keep in mind what I truly want for Christmas (quiet time with my family), I'll make the right choices.

Now if only I could figure out what to get the hubby for Christmas.