Tamssmat

1. The weather.  What is better I ask you, than being all tucked in at home with the cold wind blowing snow around outside the windows, a nice fire going in the fire place??  Spending qualiy time driving home through the muck after an emotionally and physically exhausting day amongst all of the idiots that make the roads a dangerous place, to finally arrive at your nice cozy, warm home.

2. Time with my family.  We have several traditions that we tease Mom about because she won’t let us break even the smallest of them.  But this is what I love about her, one of the things.  Over the years, I have given her a hard time on some of the traditions, throwing my Tammi tantrum and refusing to participate.  She has always very lovingly allowed me my space and moved on with as many as she could pull off without me.  That makes them somehow more important to me now.  There was one year that my Grandpa was dying that we were unable to gather at Mom and Dad’s house first thing on Christmas morning to open presents and have breakfast together because Mom was down home with Grandpa.  No one would have changed that for the world.  The only other time that I can remember that we have strayed from our norm is this year where we will all be spending the night at Bill and April’s house and waking up there.  The occasional veer from tradition is OK, so long as we don’t do it very often, and we go straight back to normal the next year.

3. Surprise gifts from friends.  I love and hate this at the same time.  I got the most snuggly robe and socks and faux fur pillow and throw (all pink mind you) from my wonderful friend Amy and all I got her was a new bed buddy.  As I blog to you my dear readers, I am snuggled on my couch in said items and enjoying them immensly.  I may never take this robe off.

4. The music.  Yeah, I haven’t really been listening to very many Christmas tunes yet this year, and my time is almost up.  But I do so love a good spell of listening and singing along in the car or when I’m cleaning (much to the boy’s chagrin in either instance).  They’re so light and cheery!!  How can anyone sing one and be down??

5. Office party.  Greg throws one hell of a party.  Last year, Tara’s husband was out of town so she took my sister as her date so it just made perfect sense that she be my date to this year’s festivities.  I came home with sore feet, starting to lose my voice, a little bit tipsy and well fed!!  We get off work early every year to go home and get all dolled up and get to the City Tavern for drinks and dinner.  There’s a gift exchange, always fun, especially when half of the office and their spouses are drunk by then.

6. Christmas movies with my family.  This technically can fall under #2 but deserves it’s own.  Every year we watch either “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “White Christmas” or both.  Jammies, cramming more of us onto Mom and Dad’s couch than should really fit, switching places, falling asleep, making fun of April when she snores, knitting, making fun of Dad when he snores, hot chocolate, making fun of the Cindy dog when she snores…AH Christmas!!

7. Scented candles and fresh Christmas trees.  Oh the glorious smells of Christmas.  The ones that you can really only pull off once a year like, pine or pumpkin pie or autumn wreath.  Yes, the dogs AND the cats think that they are put on earth to drink all of the water I’m trying to provide for the tree and yes, the tree dries out and the needles are near impossible to clean up but OH THE SMELLS!!!

8. Cookies made by the boy.  Since he was about two (and I have pictures of a tiny version of him in my mother’s apron as proof), he has been assisting my Mom in the kitchen making up all of her holiday goodies that she distributes as gifts and takes to parties.  He does this to earn money for the gifts he wants to buy.  He has various other tasks that he does over at their house to earn said money but the cookies for some reason are always something that I look forward to.  I’ll be sad when he decides he’s too old for such things.

9.  Time off from work.  I have taken tomorrow (Friday) off from work and Christmas falls on Tuesday, the office is closed on Monday so I get 5 WHOLE days away from the chaos of my office!!  Don’t get me wrong, I tend to thrive on this chaos, work-a-holic that I seem to be.  This is also why it’s necessary to have time away from it.  I tidied up my desk (a clean desk is a happy desk!!) and wrapped up what loose ends there were and booked out of there with a certain glee in my heart that only comes every so often.

10. PRESENTS!!!  I know, I know.  I really do.  This holiday is about Jesus being born for us.  I thank God as often as I think about it (which isn’t near often enough) that He did what He did for me.  But still!!  There are presents!!!  GREAT PRESENTS TO BE UNWRAPPED!!  Wrapping paper balls to throw at my Dad so he can stuff them in the trash bag and make room for more!!  The boy opening what he “knew” he was going to get but still didn’t quite know and the look on his face when he sees what he’s gotten!!  PRESENTS!!!!