There's Something About Doing the Dishes

You know what, I am just loving life right now. No, I didn't get diamonds for Christmas this year. And no, I'm not vacationing in Hawaii.

Lemme tell you, though. It's just as good, as far as I'm concerned. Hubby is home on vacation and I don't have to do the dishes!

Aarrrgghhh! I hate doing the dishes. There's just something about having to do dishes at the end of a tough work day as Mom. Putting dinner on the table is already the big heavy lift at the end of each day. It already takes the last ounce of energy left in me to prepare and fix a meal when I'm most drained and tired.

Whew! I often sigh a relief whenever I call out, "Dinner's reeaaddy!" I've never prayed so earnestly to thank God for the food, as I do now as a Mom.

On a tough day, I dread doing the dishes like sitting in a dentist chair when a drill is grinding into a depraved molar. On those rare days I actually have it easy, I still hate doing the dishes. After cooking a meal, it's feels like punishment for doing a good deed, you know?

Don't get me wrong. Hubby is working just as hard. I know he's working overtime, too. Because after a tough day at the office slaying dragons, he starts his second job: wrangling our toddler to bath and bed. Though tired, Hubby still willingly reads "Pinnochio" for the nteenth time and nightly battles the "But, Daddy. One more story, please!" unending saga. So, if truth be told, there's definitely another side of the story here...

Still, there's something about doing the dishes... So, yep. I'm relishing every day Hubby is home for vacation!

The Comfort of Christmas

I love Christmas --- even though it has already past. There are still remnants of the happiest time of the year. Last night, we just finished the last of the apple pie I made. The flowers from Christmas Eve are still fragrant, sitting on our dining room table. The Christmas tree is still lit and ornaments are still glittering.

Most of all, I have a lot of Christmas memories tucked away. They are keeping me comfy, cozy, and content. It is such a difficult time for our country right now, as we are facing the impact of an economic downturn. The new year holds a lot of uncertainty. No one is exempt from the repercussions of a bad economy. The new year may bring loss of employment, savings being dipped into, or worse yet, who knows. The uncertainty of it all can take me into some scary scenarios.

But, Christmas has reminded me that all that is important and precious to me cannot be lost, no matter what will happen to us financially. We have family, faith, and love. All of these things cannot be threatened. Faith is believing without seeing. And that is what we all need most during times of uncertainty.

So, as I look through the album of our Christmas moments, my heart is warmed and the worries melt away. The Christmas cookies we made together, watching my favorite childhood claymation Christmas movie, Rudolf, the Red-nosed Reindeer with Hubby and TJ for the first time, and putting up Christmas together. It was all savored.

It was great celebrating the holidays, now that TJ is three years old. It made Christmas all the more fun, as it reminded Hubby and I what it felt like to be a child at Christmas: worry free and just full of excitement.

Christmas morning was so special. TJ was so excited to find that Santa left him a present and even something in his stocking! TJ did ask, though, "Why doesn't Santa just use the door? Why does He have to come down the chimney?"

Of course, it is times like these that I turn to Hubby, and ask with childlike innocence, "Yeah, Daddy? Why doesn't Santa use the door?"

I hope you had a Merry Christmas with your friends and family during the holiday. And something about the season brought you peace and comfort as well.