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I’m the typical procrastinator. It’s T- 12 days till Christmas and I tell Andrew Christmas cards just may not happen this year as I’m working on opening up the new cards that came in the mail today. Of course he’s like “Really?” when I give that answer. I just feel so behind this year on getting everything together and on track with Christmas I’ve basically reached the point of it is what it is.

Then, a friend of mine posts that she’s going to do a quick mini Christmas session and I’m like SCORE I can get pictures for cards and still have them mailed and received before Christmas Eve. Thanks to Amazon Prime I was able to find an adorable nightgown for Madison to wear. The reviews were a little sketchy but I took a chance on it anyway. ( Total Prime rebel over here.) I also ordered the boys flannel PJ pants but was a little nervous because they weren’t arriving until Friday, the day of pictures. Thank goodness I double checked at Target and wasn’t going for a full Christmas plaid look because the ones that came from Amazon for the boys felt like cardboard. And that’s no joke!

So, I wait until Thursday night to tell the kids about the pictures because I knew Parker especially was going to be SO excited. But, in these instances, he knows his dad tells him I usually only ask for pictures once a year and you just suck it up and make mom happy. Now, of course his basketball practice was rescheduled for Friday evening so he was especially in a bit of a grouchy mood when I picked them up from school and we headed to town for pictures. Now, cue everyone being starving and wanting food and me having to break the terrible news there’s not enough time to drive thru before our appointment. Obviously, I’m the worst mom in the world right now and take that times 10 when I tell them they are wearing PJ’s. I mean, why did it have to be so bad that I was 5 seconds away from turning the car around and heading back home. All I wanted was one freaking picture so I could still send out decent Christmas cards!

Thank goodness, once we got there Kim told the kids the quicker they listen and participate the quicker they can go home. I cracked up quite a bit when they were made to hug each other and show or “pretend” they really love each other. They did great and I absolutely loved the real-life photos of them picking on each other.

I guess the moral of my little story here is why does it feel like the kids have to fight at each other and moms at every turn. Why couldn’t they just be excited about the pictures and not fight back so much? Why do we as moms get so overwhelmed with the Christmas season? I tell myself every year I’m going to start preparing earlier and not be wrapping two days before. Thank the good Lord Santa delivers the gifts assembled and not wrapped in this house because I honestly couldn’t handle more wrapping. How do you handle all of the stress of the holidays? I feel like I put so much pressure on myself to make it perfect because I don’t know that I’ve truly loved the holidays since I was a kid and the magic was still there. I don’t know about you, but I just want to enjoy the holidays again. Not freaking out over getting the house cleaned and decorated perfectly, staying up until midnight wrapping (at least wine helps with that) and stressing over baking tons of cookies we won’t all eat.

So, at this point, I’m striving to go into the season a little better next year. I want to start my shopping earlier than the weekend before Thanksgiving because honestly, the sales were better in my opinion, get pictures a little earlier than 10 days before Christmas and invest in good freezer bags so I can start baking the beginning of December. Then, this Mama is going to sit back and enjoy all of her favorite Hallmark movies with a bottle of cab. Yeah right, but you can help hold me to some of these resolutions for next year. At least the movies and wine! 😉

Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and you haven’t let the stress of the season beat you up too much!

This was the highlight of their evening, getting to take all their frustration out and have a full out pillow fight!

Photo Credits: Kim Novak Photography

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