Do you remember being a child and sitting in the front seat of the car with your mom? Our old station wagon had lap belts, but no shoulder harnesses and I can recall times when my mom would need to slam on the breaks. She instinctively protected me by putting her arm across me like the bar on an amusement ride. The brakes would grab hold and we would snap quickly forward, and then back against the seat again.
That is what today feels like to me.
I was going about my life enjoying Christmas break. Russ and I were busy getting projects done, decluttering, and feeling the satisfaction of hauling bags to Goodwill and loading up the garbage cans. Sweet Pea and I had a list of tasks that included actual work, but also movies to watch and special foods to cook. The kids were busy with activities and enjoying Christmas gifts. All in all, the break was ticking along quite nicely.
Yesterday Sweet Pea and I went to Spokane and went wedding dress shopping with one of her childhood best friends. We had a grand time with Gretchen and her family and loved nearly every dress she modeled, but there was one that was a clear winner. Once the dress was purchased we all went to lunch where we talked, laughed, and ate a little too much.
Then all of a sudden, I was standing in the parking lot saying goodbye to Sweet Pea who was heading to Seattle for meetings and then flying off to more interviews. I got home from Spokane, made dinner, helped Dimples and Honeybee gather things together for school, and we put the kids to bed.
Then it hit me that Christmas break was over. It didn’t wind down gradually, it ended so abruptly that I feel a bit stunned. Today it is back to the reality of laundry, menu planning, homeschool lesson plans, and phone calls to return. There was no lazy coffee sipping this morning, no fun conversations with Sweet Pea, and Russ was out the door to drive the girls to school at 8:00.
It’s all come as a bit of a shock – don’t ask me why, because I don’t have a definite answer.
I’m trying not to feel blue – dinner is in the crock pot, the washer and dryer are spinning away, I’m making my way through paperwork on my desk, and as soon as I post this, I’m going to clean out Dimples’ dresser drawers. As Elisabeth Elliot says, “Do the next thing,” – a very good principle for days like this.
What was one of your favorite moments over Christmas break?
#621 – 630 giving thanks
my Mom’s 72nd birthday today – happy birthday, Mom!
wedding dresses and a happy bride
sunshine
fellowship with good friends
Sunshine playing with a new learning toy and loving it
a new shelf in our closet
newly painted trim downstairs
significant conversations last weekend
Noah taking the youngest three ice skating today
one more week of Christmas break for my college guys
Lisa
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January 3, 2012
We just came home from wedding dress shopping. All I can say is WOW, my sweet girl is sooooo beautiful in her dress. We've been waiting for a day that I had enough energy to leave home, today was perfect. It was a bit of a comical ending when I dashed into Motherhood maternity to return a gift and pick out something new…but that's our year, wedding for B and baby for me!
January 3, 2012
Lori, I love hearing about that – we are excited for the wedding, and you are going to be a very glowing mother-of-the-bride.
January 3, 2012
Taking my kids ice skating and drinking hot chocolate!
January 3, 2012
Shannon, those sound like great moments.
January 3, 2012
It felt the same to me too. Waking up this morning and getting ready for school caught me off guard. We enjoyed far too many hours of Settlers of Catan. Fun times!
January 3, 2012
It was a fun time for us too. Can't wait to see you in a week and a half!
January 3, 2012
Watching my happy girls and at least equally excited husband on Christmas morning! 🙂 And getting hot chocolate and cake pops at starbucks and walking around Old Town Temecula to window shop and look at lights! It really was our happiest outing as a family ever! 🙂
January 3, 2012
Adrielle, that sounds like a lovely outing! Sweet Pea and I took the girls to see a light display in Lewiston and they loved it so much. Sunshine said, "This is my favorite Christmas thing ever. My face hurts so much from smiling that I think it might fall off."
January 3, 2012
That's pretty much the way I felt yesterday. Little Bro leaving for A School one day, and suddenly the world seems way emptier. And the typical bumbling around, knowing that there's work to be done, but not having the heart to do it well, has ensued. But soon we'll slide back into the comfort of routine, and remember to be thankful for the wonders of the internet allowing us to keep up with family on the other side of the country.
January 3, 2012
Hannah, you describe it well. Normal life will feel "normal" again soon – it's the transitions that are hardest.
January 4, 2012
I'm terrible at transitions. This year wasn't so bad because I worked every day of Christmas break…:( But that wasn't a great consolation…My favorite memories were: two different days of being home with everyone working on Christmas type crafts and sewing while listening to favorite talking books and Christmas music and spending a wonderful week with Larin at Adrielle's with to many happy memeories to recount!
January 4, 2012
Terri, transitions are definitely hard for me. I'm so glad you had some good time at home. Life is changing at such a rapid speed these days – another daughter married this month!
January 4, 2012
Yes, I think my transition blues are being overwhelmed at the thought of Lirise leaving–it's really starting to hit hard–this is happening way too fast…I'm definately trying to savor the moments!
January 5, 2012
Watching my awesome brother marry my awesome sister in law…and my mom giving my brother my (late) fathers wedding band that she had secretly restored (it had worn through after all the years of construction he did). They both cried…what a special memory for them. 🙂