Other Post Christmas thoughts...

**Edited - this post was started a looooong time ago***
Okay, so this has been rolling around in my head since early December when we first started talking about Santa Claus and presents and Christmas. This was the first year that N. was old enough to have any comprehension about this aspect of Christmas. And it was with amazing fortitude that she grasped the idea and tightly held to the belief that a stranger in a red suit was going to come break into her house on Christmas Eve and bring her toys. A baby doll to be more precise. As the month wore on and we started using the idea of Santa only brings presents to the "good kids," as a disciplinary strategy, I just started getting really uncomfortable with this whole concept. Why is it exactly that we introduce the idea of materialism for good behavior to our kids? Who came up with this idea? Particularly, as Christians, who are also celebrating Christ's birth at this time, why do we bring in a completely contradictory idea about being "good" in order to gain possesions? It really makes no sense. Aren't we supposed to be motivated to do good out of our love for God, not for what we can get out of it? Am I over-thinking this?

Death of Christmas

I hate this time of year. The next three months will be very challenging for me. I think I could be diagnosed with Seasonal Depressive Disorder or whatever the official name of that is called (Can you believe I was a psych major? Throckmorton would be ashamed.) where the treatment is tanning, aka light therapy. It's the melancholy that sets in when this:

Becomes this:

And all you can do is vacuum up the pine needles.

It's when you look ahead and all there is to look forward to is work. Working out to get in shape after all those Christmas cookies. Working at work until the end of May because there are no holidays. Working in your house because there's a constant stream of muddy footprints and shedding hair. Resolutions to spend less money, eat out less, buckle down and pay down debt and other similarly less than exciting challenges to face. I used to have my January birthday to look forward to, but now that various numerals are going to fill in the 3X space, it has somewhat lost its ability to cheer me up.

While I face this every year, it seems especially strong this year because we had such a nice holiday season. N. was more aware and excited about Christmas. We spent a lot of good times with family. We relaxed at home without an agenda. M. had a lot of time off work and we just really took it easy. So, there was no "relief" that Christmas was over. It wasn't hectic or annoying and nobody got in a fight with anybody else. :)

It's also that time of year in Pittsburgh when the weather plain sucks. It gets REALLY cold, but doesn't snow. It warms up enough to RAIN. I HATE RAIN. It is grey, grey, grey every day until you really aren't sure you can take it anymore. It is UGLY. It's why I go stark raving crazy with spring fever come April. If only I could take my whole family with me and move to San Diego...along with Pittsburgh's cost of living...

As that's clearly impossible, be aware that a little blue rain cloud has parked itself above my head. Things may be a little gloomy over here at flimsy dress. Come cheer me up!