The holidays are in full swing over here and I’m so excited that Thanksgiving is this week! We’ve had our Christmas tree up for two weeks now so we are just truly enjoying the holiday spirit. So today I wanted to share my holiday hopes and thoughts for this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel sadness this holiday season. Solo parenting at Thanksgiving and Christmas is more emotional than I thought it would be. I truly haven’t experienced much actual sadness these last few months of solo parenting – more frustration at being alone in hard moments and exhaustion from being the only one with my kids. But decorating the tree almost brought me to tears. We’ve spent a lot of holidays alone with my husband working (I think he has only had one Christmas off since we’ve had kids? And maybe 2 total in the last 8 years…) but it’s just different not having him around at all.
Anyways, it has been a season of joy and sadness. My kids love Christmas SO much. They love coming downstairs and turning on the tree and all our Christmas village/houses and all the other cute decorations. They are at the perfect age to enjoy the special moments and communicate that to me! Almost 5 and 2.5 are such fun ages, for different reasons. It’s also easier to get out and go than it ever has been before, so I’m also trying to embrace every fun activity we can to celebrate this season! Plus if I don’t leave the house I don’t see adults, so we are doing all the social things 🙂
I’m excited for Christmas markets and Christmas lights. We went to a holiday parade this weekend and I cannot wait to eat all the Thanksgiving food tomorrow! I’m literally going to gorge myself on stuffing. I’m also excited for Christmas in Minnesota and snow and time with family. And I CANNOT WAIT for 2024 and hopefully our life will go back to “normal.”
I don’t want to wish these next few weeks away and I’m trying to enjoy this special time of year. My kids are so joyful all the time and are psyched about everything with Christmas. I’m trying to soak up their joy so I can remember this year and this time – because they will never be these ages again.
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Sending love to everyone having a hard holiday because I know it can be rough. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
