Holiday Pressure!

With holiday time as always there is an increased amount of pressure, to shop, to get things done, etc. With 4 children and 2 that are in elementary school and one 3 year old....the pressure just seems to be getting excessive!

I felt that pressure begin as soon as I walked out of my house on Black Friday and watched the neighbors all start putting up their lights.  The first thought that came to mind was "Thanks alot!" and I went back in the house in my pajamas to continue my lazy Friday.  Why do I have to feel pressured....yesterday morning Jonah asks me, "When are we getting a tree?", I answer "probably this weekend".  He goes on "oh", and then he says "almost everyone in the whole world already has a tree" and I say, "not everyone Jonah".  And he goes on to say "Well, when I ride the school bus I see all of the houses and they all have Christmas decorations already."  PRESSURE! Ok, coming home from work with Julian in my car, it's dark outside (gets dark around 4 in NY this time of year) and lights are on outside all the neighbors houses...and he's like "Mommy I like Christmas, Mommy I like Christmas, look at all the Christmas!" PRESSURE!  Last night, calling the boys to come and watch the Rockefeller tree lighting on television "Boys, come let's watch the tree lighting", Chorus of boys "WE GOT A TREE?!?!?!" and some more PRESSURE! 

So you see, as if I don't have enough to do, I need to make sure that I hurry up already and decorate the outside of the house for Christmas and put up a tree.  Mind you....I'm frustrated as all get out about that and let me explain why.  OK, well first of all If you know me well you know I have what I like to call a black thumb.  Gardening, flowers, plants all of it has been a real challenge for me and being a homeowner with a big lawn that had the previous owner with a Shining Green thumb there was this pressure on me when I moved into the neighborhood to keep up with what the previous owner used to do.  I actually had neighbors come up to me and say "well you know Diana was so good with her flowers, she would be out here every morning working on the roses or something else" ok, well that's not me, even my hanging flower baskets die! Anyhoo, with that said, I wanted to make sure I was on my game this year, well, I started the spring off not so good.  My father-in-law tried to help my husband and I out with everything and bought and planted flowers, but unfortunately he wasn't familiar with how the sun was around my house.  So Spring....fail.  Ok, summer comes around I think I have an idea and I get my fertilizers my miracle grow, the right plants/flowers for the sunlight in my area and go at it again.  Success! I managed to do the flowers, get my furniture on the porch, get the pavers done, and have my house beautiful for the summertime!  I kept that momentum up and did a nice job (in my humble opinion) for the fall as well.  Not only did it look nice, but my flowers bloomed and grew really well.  I was proud...and then BOOM! Snow in October! Well, my mums couldn't take it, any left over summer flowers were doomed.  Believe it or not, what's held up the most were my little pansies.  They are still blooming.  The worst part is that everything would have held up really nicely because we've had a very mild fall bar the craziness in October.  Anyhoo, I had to redecorate the house for Thanksgiving as best I could and that's it...I only get one day! Blah, then I have to decorate for Christmas...mind you it was 70 degrees the other day.

Well, this weekend, I plan on getting my decorating done. At the very least a tree for the kids.  I am feeling the pressure, but I know that when my kids reaction to the tree and decorations will be well worth it.   I guess I just needed to vent.

Until next time.

Ciao,

Londi

xoxoxo