Holiday Reality

The picture perfect holiday- 

the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, the ornaments are evenly spaced, the pillow is perfectly fluffed.  

And this is reality, taken from a few steps back. 

Decorations are infiltrating the entire house, with toys and blankets and books mixed in.  There are dishes in the sink and a mile-long to-do list taunting me from it's place on the fridge.  There are presents to buy, packages to mail, donations to make, service to do.  Regular life beats on as well- the homework, the laundry, piano lessons and concerts and late library books.  The too-early mornings and the too-short evenings.  

Time passes relentlessly.

And still, the cute little five-year-old plays with the nativity, oblivious to anything but the magic that the Christmas season brings.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.  And it's the most stressful time of the year.  We're having a great time making memories and building relationships and connecting with loved ones, all of which I'll blog about soon enough.  We're also eating too many treats and not getting enough sleep and perhaps spreading ourselves just a bit too thin as we try to fit in as many magical moments as the season offers.  It's joyful and stressful and always over too soon.

And while I don't love every minute of it, I do recognize that these days are fleeting and too special to miss.

So I think I'll go eat a few more cookies and snuggle up to watch a Christmas movie with my babies while I still can.