Sunday, December 5, 2010

'Tis the Season...

For me, it is the season of rush around and try to get everything done! Oh my goodness! I do, truly, love the holidays, but, they can be stressful. We get started right after Thanksgiving getting ready for...not Christmas...BIRTHDAYS!!! Nathan and Matthew were born on December 8th after 19 hours of labor and THEN a C-section. They got to come home from the hospital on December 11th...just in time for their Daddy's birthday on the 12th.

I have to plan a birthday party, get birthday presents, and figure out how to treat my husband well for his birthday, also. It gets a little stressful! I try to do it all with a smile. The boys just had a sleepover with some of the new friends they have made here in Ames. They invited six boys. Four were able to come. I limited them this year. Last year, we had a dozen boys. It was still exhausting! I usually plan their birthday for the weekend before their birthday so, I don't have to overlap theirs with his.

For Chris, I usually try to either take him out to dinner, or fix him dinner at home with the kids and some of his favorite goodies. Of course, there are presents for Daddy, too. I refuse to wrap any birthday presents in red and green paper. There are no Santas on the boys gifts. I want their birthdays to be distinct from Christmas.

I established ground rules years ago for my December birthday people. I said, first of all, there are TWO children, they get TWO presents. Second, their birthday is in December, it is a BIRTHDAY, not Christmas. If their birthday was in July, they would get presents in December and July. The get two DIFFERENT presents in December. I don't like combination birthday/Christmas presents. That seems so unfair to me. I try to abide by that for Chris, too. I am sure there are some people who would wonder why it is a big deal, but, to me, it is. I want them to have separate, unique experiences.

This is the first year our tree has been up by the first of December. I told Chris when the boys were little that I would not put a tree up until after their birthday. I didn't want Christmas to come first. I told him that when they asked we would do it. They asked this year. They even decorated it themselves. My little boys are growing up.