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Grinch

The Holiday Spirit or lack Thereof ~ How the Grinch Almost Stole Mommy Revisited

by Deborah Cruz

I feel like the Grinch~ This is a post I wrote last year at about this same time and I realized that the same thing is happening again. I’m just recognizing it earlier in the holiday season. I don’t want to be this person who is wound so tight at the holidays that she pops out of her face like a jack in the box at the drop of a hat. This post is a good reminder to stop, breathe and try something different. I think we’ve all had our holiday Grinch moments. Let’s not the Grinch steal our children’s holiday memories or their holiday Mommy.

The holidays for me are usually all warmth and fuzziness, mostly. Don’t get me wrong they are chocked full of craziness but right underneath the surface of all the chaos, complete happiness is bubbling its way to the surface and about to spill over. But for some reason, this year things feel… off. It all looks great on paper, we are doing all the things that should be done to make wonderful memories for our girls but for some reason, I don’t feel like my heart is in it. I don’t feel the bubbly goodness rising to the top as it should be this far into December.

Grinch, Christmas, parenthood, stress, holidays

Grinch, We Don’t Need no Stinkin Grinch

 

Grinch, Christmas, parenthood, stress, holidays

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am watching the finances closely since this year has been full of new jobs, relocations and maintaining separate households, which is nothing to speak of the fact that our whole life has been suspended and not quite right with the Big Guy not living here. Maybe my lack of enthusiasm has something to do with being overwhelmed by the to do lists and not enough time to accomplish the tasks at hand. I have been buried under snow for most of December and there’s been no time for shopping, baking, enjoying. Its been a series of appointments and dates. Truly, I feel like my girls are being jipped out of their Christmas. I’ve been so  caught up in all the obligations that I’ve been snapping at my girls and firing snark from my mouth like an AK-47.I know on more than one occasion, lately, I’ve given them the “are you retarded?” look and may have even said something to that effect, but not quite as awful. But the sentiment was there and that is as guilty as saying the words themselves. Thoughts become words and words become actions.Well, even thinking that makes me a really horrible Grinch of a mother, in my book. I don’t want to be THAT person.I don’t want my girls to think it even fathomable that I could mean such awful words.The thought of them believing that I think they are anything less than amazing or that my love is conditional upon whether or not they are pleasing to me, makes me sick to my stomach.I want to be happy, excited and gay. I need to get my warm fuzziness boiling back over. I want to spread it all over my children like warm molasses.

Grinch, Christmas, parenthood, stress, holidays

Please Grinch Mommy,don’t take away their smiles

Grinch, Christmas, parenthood, stress, holidays

Christmas is not about things to do, places to be or presents to open; Christmas is about love, peace and people.I want my girls to look back on their childhood Christmases and remember the cuddles in front of the fire, spontaneous Christmas cookie baking, making fudge with Daddy, snowball fights, and watching Christmas Movies; staying up late to put cookies out for Santa and going to mass with the whole family.It’s firsts snows and snow angels.It’s togetherness.It’s a series of moments that form a lifetime. I want it to be a feeling in their heart.I want it to be the spirit of something larger than us; of hope, love and joy. I’m clearing out the clutter of my life and my mind and going forth, my only true obligation is going to be to see to it that my girls are happy.Everything else is secondary.

Grinch, Christmas, parenthood, stress, holidays

Christmas Memories Better when Mommies Not a Grinch

Grinch, Christmas, parenthood, stress, holidays
Fah who for-aze! Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze! Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas, Welcome Christmas,
Come this way! Come this way!
Bottom Line is this, we determine how/what our memories will be. We are the parents and it’s up to us make the most of our children’s memories. They won’t remember every single detail but they will remember the feelings associated with being loved unconditionally and all that it entails.
I am laying out all the wisdom for the teens in my post High School Confidential at Aiming Low today.  Would love it if you would stop over there and share what vital piece of wisdom that you would impart on the teens of the world. Looking forward to hearing your advice.
Also, how do you keep from becoming overwhelmed, exhausted and a Grinch at the holidays?

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3 comments

Tracy@TheComfortZone 2011/12/07 - 7:30 pm

The Grinch hasn’t gotten me, but preoccupation has. The tree is up, presents wrapped; but my hubby is in finals week/final project week and I’m changing jobs/starting completely over. I need that little fish from Nemo telling me to “Just Keep Swimming.”

Reply
Jenn {Mommie Couture} 2011/12/08 - 6:27 am

I was a TOTAL grinch last year but this year I’m making up for it. 🙂

~~ Come visit my blog! https://www.mommiecouture.com ~~

Reply
lizza 2011/12/09 - 8:59 pm

I dont want to sound like the grinch saying this but the grinch spirit is more popular than ever at the moment. its the over commercialisation with the xboxes and psps that dampen christmas in the 21st centruty

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