Holidays, bills, put up the tree, put up the lights, wiping snotty noses, bills, doctor appointments, shopping, wrap the presents, finals, bills, chasing the kids to activities. Stop the insanity!

OMG, this time of year should be full of giving, enjoying the sparkle in my little boy’s eyes when he spots Santa and all I can think about is how soon can the weekend get here so I can hide under the covers and ignore everyone and everything, maybe this year worse than all the previous years. I’ve had plenty of stress this year but I’m also concerned that part of it is all the negativity in our media.

You must think I’m the Grinch? “Nice kid, bad judge of character.” (My favorite line.) It’s not that exactly, I think somewhere along the road I have forgotten to slow down, turn off the TV, the social media, take a deep breath, and enjoy.

While I’ve been busy “mommin my ass off,” somewhere in between the college classes, while I’m making a living and putting food on the table, and raising my kids, I forgot about me. Moms are so busy trying to make everyone else happy and caring for their needs that ours are lost in the mound of wrapping paper, the mounting bills, the insurance bs, the ball games and the kids’ report cards.

We need to stop. I need to stop, take a step back and look around.

We (I) can be the whiner, the “Debbie Downer,” aka “Negative Nancy,” or we (I) can scan our humble abode and thank God for the blessings he has surrounded us with.

I’ll put up the tree this week, pour another cup of coffee, dig out the shiny ornaments, and stare at my pile of laundry. Breathe mama, its OK!

REMINDER TO ME and to other moms:  no one cares if you have or don’t have your college degree, the bed isn’t made, no one cares if your laundry hasn’t been done in three days, however, they might care if your teeth haven’t been brushed in three days! Ya, that’s not an option! The lawn doesn’t need mowed in December, cross that one off the list. I missed the peewee wrestling meeting last night; I fell asleep in my chair after the homework was done. The kids are OK eating peanut butter again tonight; in fact, they prefer it most nights. Hey, just relax! Have you ever worried about impressing someone? Um, OK but not recently, not for a long time. I don’t have to be super mom (thanks to my sister for the reminder) and neither do you; I just have to be me. You can be you! It’s OK!

Is it time for a restructure, new surroundings, a vacation maybe? I’m not sure, but it’s probably nothing that retail therapy and a good cup of java can’t fix. Maybe schedule my first pedi and get my nails done? Nah, I’m not really into that girlie crap. I’ll finish finals this weekend, breathe a sigh of relief, and take a nap.

I promised my kids and my man (aka 13 yr “boyfriend”…can I still call him that after 13 yrs?), I will not take college classes this next semester, more importantly, I promised me. I’m going to explore my creative side for a while, learn to relax again, take time for me so I can enjoy them. I’ve purchased some fun paint I’ve been hearing about and I’ll paint my cupboards, I’ll catch up on the laundry, the dishes, scrub the toilet, and breathe in happiness as I watch my 2^nd oldest child graduate from college in a week. (Heart swelling with pride) Something about cleaning toilets and breathing in didn’t sound so fun, but you get the idea.

Mama needs some ME time. I’m not selfish, it’s not all about ME ME ME, it’s rarely about me, but it’s relevant if I want to take care of THEM THEM THEM.