The Holidays Are Over, Long Live the Holidays

Halloween is over (above are my little ones in the mommy made kitty and ghost costumes. I am especially proud of the kitty ears made of felt, glue and hair clips). Thanksgiving is creeping up, and the freight train (full of presents, of course) that is Christmas is barreling down that track toward us.

Ai Dios Mio, save me from the Holidays.

I really want to be Martha Stewart and fabricate handmade swags out of pine needles, felt shaped into flowers and organic berries, but I need to be realistic.

I've got too much going on to have to live up to Martha's glorious standards. It always fills me with anxiety and I never manage to do it all.

Will I be able to make the kids presents? Perhaps, since I am not budgeted for big bang presents from the store. Will I be able to bake and decorate christmas cookies? Maybe even a gingerbread house? It would be so awesome, but I don't know. Can I manage handmade presents for friends and family, both near and far? I'd better get cracking right away.

I plan on wrapping presents in brown paper and twine again. Some Christmas tree twigs as accent. Simple and direct, as well as nostalgic.

But before I go on and get all wrapped up in the coming holidays, I am going to take a moment and celebrate something non national, non religious, non over the top.

In fact, a day I have a tendency to ignore every single year.

MY BIRTHDAY!

I will be 38 on November 19, and I have already decided, with some prompting from the party happy boy, that I will bake myself a cake and have balloons and maybe even party hats.

I will send my kids off with their grandma to buy ME a present. I will give grandma a list of things I might like and let the kids choose from that. I will suggest they go to Target, but my mom is creative and will probably manage to deal with yard sales, consignment shops and used book stores.

I will also make that outing into a MommyDate. Some time with myself, celebrating myself before my actual birthday. And artist's date. A movie date. Something for myself, just for myself. Alone, baby free time. Ahh.