Christmas fail

Santa was great - but Clara and Jack weren't so convinced.

I know I titled this post, "Christmas fail," which sounds rather harsh.  Especially since this was, perhaps, my most favorite Christmas yet.  But I have to share what happened in the few days leading up to the holiday..

1.  I had written about 50% of my Christmas cards the weekend of Thanksgiving...and I had kept a detailed list...and mailed the notes as I wrote them.  Well.  I lost the remaining 50% of the cards AND the list early in December.  I searched high and low.  HIGH AND LOW.  I figured they would just "show up" somewhere.  They didn't.  So I just didn't send the rest of the cards.  *Sigh*  Ughhh.  Fail.

2. I had made one monster purchase of Christmas gifts from one particular catalog.  Everyone...EVERYONE was to get the same gift from me.  Take my word for it, this gift was so insanely rad and perfect and bridged genders, ages, design taste, AND were personalized.  I was seriously patting myself on the back for being so dang clever and getting all of my Christmas shopping done in one fell swoop.  I didn't have to battle shopping crowds, I didn't have to rush about, I didn't have to scan the internet for the one perfect item for every person on my list.  I was golden and so stress free :)  But then, the package never came.  After calling and inquiring about it a few days before Christmas, it turns out the package was documented as delivered three days after placing the order.  It was stolen.  All of my Christmas gifts were delivered to my front door and stolen by some jerkface.  I was crushed.  And pissed.  Fail.

3.  There were four or five people on my list who I wanted to get a special loose leaf tea that is made locally and is scrumptious (and happens to be my favorite thing on the planet).  The restaurant is across town, and is only open four hours per day so I am not able to get there easily with my work schedule.  Fortunately, I had a lunch date there a couple of days before Christmas and anticipated purchasing the tea at that time.  When I went to buy it, they said that they were sold out.  SOLD OUT.  Nooooooo.  Fail.

on Christmas day...under our tree...being sweet to each other... so heart warming.

After that, I just decided to let it all go.  I didn't burden myself with any of the "stuff" that usually distracts me with the holidays (like shopping the deals, decorating like a boss, baking like a mad woman, attending parties and having pretty holiday outfits, and keeping a mental list of who I need to buy presents for).  Instead, I sang songs with my kids...read Christmas stories, decorated gingerbread houses, went to the Nutcracker ballet with my 2 year old, took lots of walks to look at lights with my kids, watched cheesy Christmas movies, ate my mom's Christmas cookies, dressed by daughter in lots of red, and was jolly all of the place!  This year it wasn't about the Christmas cards or gifts under the tree.  Unless my kids are sitting under the tree... they are, undoubtedly, my most glorious gifts of all.

I hope your holiday was beautiful and quirky and full of cheer and love.