I love Christmas time, but I hate that it really has gotten to be stressful and commercialized. I hate having to think of 20,000 things to BUY people and give people to show that I like them. And then Elsa really just understands Christmas to be the day she gets a lot of presents. I think this may be so far one of my greater failings as a mother (so far, I am sure I will do worse sooner or later).

I am trying to correct this problem this year by immersing her in the ACTUAL Christmas story, and also focusing a lot on what we can give other people who really need things, and she has money set aside for the Salvation Army bell ringers.

I finished all my Christmas shopping this weekend and I forced myself to keep the shower of stuff for Elsa conservative and non-spoiling. It’s a start, right? She’ll thank me when she’s grown? Right…? Also, I did my time in the slammer I mentioned a couple weeks ago. (I still have like 45 days left to take donations though, in case anyone is dying to help buy physical therapy and wheel chairs for kids like this guy here.)

Thanks SOOOOOOOOOO much to those of you who have so generously donated. Gosh I have some swell friends and co-workers!

Oh and the picture above… it’s not the most flattering, I am told, often…by my boss…every time he sees me…sometimes he comes over to my desk JUST to remind me…the other day he saw me about to consume a cookie and he reminded me how chubby I look in this thing.
Apparently vertical stripes are not slimming on me in a picture at all!