MOM-ents: Christmas Memories

Dear Memory,

As you look back on Christmas 2011, I would like for you to think of it in the following way:

Remember the squeal of excitement from your three year old as she walked down the steps and saw what Santa had left her.  Forget her breaking into tears moments later when she realized that Santa had given the “Elf on the Shelf” a ride back to the North Pole with him.

Remember how proud you were of the things you had found that were “just perfect” for your kids.  Forget how long it took to wrap, to clean up after the unwrap, and to break out of packaging and assemble all of those toys.

Think of how nice it was sitting down to a home-cooked breakfast with your family.  Forget about how cold it was in the kitchen as you opened the windows and tried to air out all of the smoke.

Remember the sweetness in your baby boy’s voice as he started using his first words.  Forget that if you didn’t know he meant  juice, or cookie, or up, or down, or fruit, or backrub, or tickle, or poopy diaper even though all you heard was “shish” then he would collapse to the ground in inconsolable sobs.  All. Day.  Long.

Remember the delicious dinner you enjoyed at your parent’s house.  Forget that you were sweating butter all night and officially undid 12 weeks of dieting by housing that extra twice-baked potato, along with any other cookie, candy, or snack that seduced its way into your line of vision.

Remember how excited you were to have so much time off to enjoy your kids.  Forget that you were ready to go back to work after two days.

Please, memory, remember it this way so that I can be excited about Christmas again next year.

Hope everyone else had as enjoyable a holiday as I did (if memory serves).