Friday, December 17, 2010

Day 250: It's a wrap!

Today is the last day of school before the holidays. The natives were restless. After a couple hours of sucking on candy canes and scarfing down chocolate, they were acting like popcorn kernels in a hot pan. They were so ready to go home, but I was too. Getting ready to travel and having company as soon as I return has kind of kept me too focused on chores to even contemplate the vacation! Today I couldn't help but start to daydream about long lazy days.

Last night I was wrapping gifts like crazy. Every year I tell myself we're not going all out, but then I feel badly for the kids and want them to have a great Christmas at our house. It is hard since we don't get them very often, deciding between wanting to give them a great Christmas full of holiday memories and special treats and being realistic that they just aren't at our house enough to play with an abundance of new toys. There are literally boxes of things that have been taken out once since being a Christmas gift years ago.

They are with us for a week at Christmas, a few weekends in the winter and for a week in the spring. We get them for almost the entire summer, but then it is birthday time for both boys. Making them happy and feel loved is important, but sometimes it feels like throwing away money, but I can't stop myself. I live for the moment they open the gift and grin. I just don't ever want them to feel like we didn't do as much for them because they aren't in our house daily.

So I end up buying too much. I definitely spend too much. This year they have a few small gifts each and one big family gift. In previous years, I have even gone so far as to wrap presents in different paper if they were from "Santa" and use different handwriting for the gift tags. I think one is past believing this year, but is hedging his bets. At 11, I'm sure he no longer really believes in Santa, but understands that his brothers all still do and Lil Bit hasn't even started believing yet. We appreciate him playing along.

Next year I will have to go back to doing it up right with Lil Bit old enough to enjoy more of the traditions of the season, but for now, I just want to be able to get the house ready to have company on the 26th (even though my MIL says not to worry about it) and have all the presents wrapped. Then I need to pack for the week at my sister's house. Until I am on the plane in Atlanta and on the final leg of my trip, I won't really rest easy, but ooohhh when that last bell rang, mmmm a much needed break.

I love my job. Teaching is an amazing blessing. There are days I really wonder that people pay me to do this. However, it is so emotionally and mentally taxing, that a couple weeks of mindless rest will do me so much good. As the 2:05 bell rang, a collective shout rang through the school. Chairs scraped against the tile floors, locker doors clanged shut, and the teachers all sighed with relief. It's a wrap - we're done until 2011. TGIV!! I need it.

1 comment:

  1. So jealous! :) We have finals on Monday and Tuesday!

    Enjoy yourself and Lil Bit, too! Take tons of pictures!

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