Almost lost my Christmas spirit

[hockeymom 2]

I’m doing my final marking madness and have a crapload of other stressors that have popped up in the last couple of weeks or so. Things were looking kind of overwhelming. Ha, that's an understatement! So, I asked Miss D if she minded if we didn’t decorate the house or get a tree this year – after all, I really couldn’t see doing much until my grades go in next week, and then it would be doing all of that work just for a few days’ before we head to my sister’s house for Christmas. It was looking like yet more tasks piled on top of my already jammed load. Miss D was very understanding.

I was so upside down and backbuttwards that I even messed up on the hockey schedule and missed a game, then messed up again and missed a practice on Monday night. Not like me at all!

Then it hit me, if I can’t make the time to carve out a Christmas for us, what good am I? The rituals are important. The spirit of Christmas is important. So, yesterday I said, why don’t we walk over to the garden centre Tuesday night and pick up a tree? Miss D’s eyes lit up and she smiled from ear to ear. Oh man was I glad I had caught this horrible mistake.

So, tonight we walked over and checked out the trees D short-listed after school. As we lugged the thing back home, D was dancing with excitement and singing carols, and cars honked and people waved… everyone had a smile on their faces seeing us carrying this tree through the city.

We got it set up in the stand (hasn’t fallen over yet!!) and tomorrow night we’ll put on Christmas music and decorate it together. Suddenly I am filled with Christmas spirit and all those challenges I was facing just don’t seem so important anymore. This does, the time we spend together creating happiness.

How is your Christmas spirit?

[kovalchuk71 212]

Who is Miss D? I ve been wondering, its in a few of your posts

[hockeymom 2]

My daughter - 2nd year Bantam

[--notorious 0]

I think its her daughter?

[kovalchuk71 212]

Thanks. :)

[DamnLocust 0]

geez mom, I think my heart just grew three sizes.

[Vapor 0]

Nothing better than christmas in the city, and no better city than new york. I just got a tree for my apartment and wrapped some garland over the stiarcase. I love the smell of christmas.

[Chadd 916]

I'm not really feeling it at all this year. We got a tree the other night and decorated it but it hasn't helped.

[Jason Harris 31]

My Miss D, otherwise known as The Big D, and I were talking recently about how the holiday is so anticipated that it can actually lead to depression for some people. It seems that the knowledge they are supposed to be happy can make them even more depressed when they don't feel like mustering a smile. It's a shame because it can be such a fulfilling holiday.

I'm a sucker for the holiday. I look forward to it every year and I hope I'll always have reason to do so.

[tokes 0]

This is the first year I've ever been buying past my means. I have more on my credit card than I can afford, so I just have to work a ton as soon as exams are done. Pretty stupid of me, so it's kind of sucking some spirit out of me, but it'll be a good Christmas.

[Eazy_b97 1]

It's a weird X-mas for me this year. First time in 6 years I don't have a gf to buy for, first time in about as long that I am not working, and first X-mas I can remember where my sisters won't be home until either X-mas day, or slightly before. It's hard to get into the "spirit" of it right now studying for Exams and everything, but it's not too bad. It'll perk up once I finish up on Saturday and can just kind've take it all in. Go for a walk in the area, see everything thats set up and that kind've stuff.

[UMWhockey 0]

this will be the first time i spend christmas without my family. Depressing in a way, but on the other hand I always hated driving up I-95. Christmas has just lost it's thrill to me.

[kosydar 0]

This is my first Christmas living on my own. Last year I lived in the dorms, but still went home over Christmas break, so this is my first year completely away. I've actually been in much more of a Christmas mood this year than in recent years because its a whole new experience. Hell we even put up a couple strings of lights inside and out, and a tree decorated with beer cans.

[fatwabbit 93]

I think Christmas is pretty 'family-oriented'. Its hard to really get into the mood of Christmas when you have family that is in a totally different country. This is the first Christmas that I will be away from my family... even though the wife and kid are here, its just not the same without all the aunts, uncles, cousins and family around.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

Everyyear, it seems like I'm not in the chritsmas spirit but it always seems that when it comes december 24th, I always seems to get in it.

Great to share it with us HockeyMom!!!

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

My "family" christmas is already over. I was back home in Ireland for 2 weeks at the end of november for a friends wedding. While there, we had our Christmas Day, my 95 year old Grandmother was in for dinner, we done the whole turkey and ham thing, exchanged presents. It was the first time since my wedding in 04 that we were all together.

My brother was back from Thailand, sister from dublin, me from DC, brother from belfast.

So, now we are back here, we are meeting our friends (the same ones who got married in november) in New York for Christmas.

Our wedding present to them was the full christmas day package. We are all staying in the Waldorf Astoria.

We have

Breakfast at the hotel

Mass at St. Patricks Cathedral

Horse & Carriage round Central Park

Dinner at Tavern on the Green

Tickets to the Radio City Music Spectacular

Limo down to the village and then hopefully if the Red Lion is open, should be, spend the night drinking (Red lion is my favorite bar apart from Fagins, but I am not trekking to yonkers for a pint on christmas day)

[mack 44]

The only reason I have any semblance of a Christmas spirit is because it'll be my daughter's first. Other than that, I couldn't notice it's almost Christmas.

[hockeymom 2]

The only reason I have any semblance of a Christmas spirit is because it'll be my daughter's first. Other than that, I couldn't notice it's almost Christmas.

Pish-Posh Mack, now that you have a kid you're done for... you'll be lining up to see Santa Claus this year!!

My "family" christmas is already over. I was back home in Ireland for 2 weeks at the end of november for a friends wedding. While there, we had our Christmas Day, my 95 year old Grandmother was in for dinner, we done the whole turkey and ham thing, exchanged presents. It was the first time since my wedding in 04 that we were all together.

My brother was back from Thailand, sister from dublin, me from DC, brother from belfast.

So, now we are back here, we are meeting our friends (the same ones who got married in november) in New York for Christmas.

Our wedding present to them was the full christmas day package. We are all staying in the Waldorf Astoria.

We have

Breakfast at the hotel

Mass at St. Patricks Cathedral

Horse & Carriage round Central Park

Dinner at Tavern on the Green

Tickets to the Radio City Music Spectacular

Limo down to the village and then hopefully if the Red Lion is open, should be, spend the night drinking (Red lion is my favorite bar apart from Fagins, but I am not trekking to yonkers for a pint on christmas day)

What a fabulous plan AllSmoke!! We did that when D was 4 or 5 yrs old, well a few days before Christmas actually (my mum and sibs would kill me if I didn't get back for "the day") The show at Radio City Music Hall was... well... spectacular!! Sounds like you will have a great time!

[mack 44]

Actually we took care of the obligatory Santa Claus pics on vacation. She didn't take too well to him either so I'm going to put my vote for Kwanzaa in right now.

[All Torhs Team 0]

I'm not a parent or even in college so I dont have to worry about half the stuff you guys do. I'm just in for the ride. Still though, I'm known as the grinch of the family. I dont try to ruin Xmas, but I just cant get excited about putting up wreathes, baking cookies taking pictures with unknown relatives and decorating trees. Plus in the past Xmas was always the two week break every year that I was absent from hockey. That probally pissed me off, this year will be different.

[BK 0]

I have quite a bit on my hands before my christmas. Me and my wife already spent too much on each other and are now pretty much broke. I have a Christmas bonus coming tomorrow (which I will promptly spend on more gifts for her). We are getting out of this little one bedroom apartment and moving into a nice townhouse in the outskirts of the city but need to have it done by this week. I have a final to take on friday and should be packing now, but I was having my MSH withdrawls and needed a fix. Its pretty stressful, but I really lucked out when I married my wife. Her parents are loaded and decided that we are flying up to Washington for Christmas this year, driving a short distance to Idaho and spending 4 days skiing at a resort in northern Idaho.

I can't complain too much.

[mack 44]

Sounds like a Spokompton-to-Coeur d'Alene event.

[AnthonyJTa 0]

eh.. Christmas spirit is barely there. I'm forcing it more than anything.

Lost my job on DECEMBER 1ST!! So it kinda put me in a funk for a week or so....

[DP_57 1]

The only reason I have any semblance of a Christmas spirit is because it'll be my daughter's first. Other than that, I couldn't notice it's almost Christmas.

Looks like Santa is gonna be tall for the next 5-6 years, haha.

[D3nZ 0]

My christmas spirit comes as soon as I see National Lampoon's Christmas vacation for the first time of the year. Then I see it about 4 more times in both french and english. Right after that the WJHC starts so I'm as happy as a kid especially if Canada wins.