Frozen Fuzzies

This time of year always warms my heart. It’s not Christmas Day and presents that get me going, it’s the days leading up to it. People smile more. They give of their hearts as well as their wallets. You spend more time with family and friends. There are traditions, like decorating the house and watching certain movies, eating special foods and drinking ummm… mOrE special drinks. I just get a warm fuzzy feeling that clings to me this time of year. I think it is equal parts anticipation, hope, joy and contentment.

I’m alone this year. No husband, no boy/girlfriend, and in fact, for the about 2 weeks, no children. But I still have that fuzzy feeling (no I haven’t started drinking already... yet. Mmmm, Jack! Stoli! Pinot!). I’ll miss the Things like mad while they are gone, but it doesn’t give me the sense of dread and melancholy many have this time of year. I’m not grumping around because I don’t have someone to kiss me under the mistletoe. I don’t have a special reason why being alone doesn’t get me down. Except that perhaps, I know I’m not really alone. I have wonderful family and friends that are all a phone call away. And with that tucked into the back of my mind, I’m looking forward to a quiet Christmas all by myself this year. Yep, I’m actually looking forward to it.

You see, I’ve learned how to do a lot of things alone this year. All. By. My. Self. And each one tickles my fancy and makes me do a happy dance of joy. Sunday, I put up the lights on my house, All. By. My. Self. Sure, I had a neighbor across the street keeping an eye one me while he put up his own lights, just in case my clumsy ass fell off the ladder. But, I still did it, All. By. My. Self. I’m proud of the things I’ve accomplished this year, most especially figuring out how in the hell I’m going to pay a mortgage, all my bills and put a kid in braces All. By. My. Self. That isn’t saying that I always want to be alone and doing it all. by. my. self. I just like knowing that I can. So, when I have fun dates with various Hot Pockets, I feel less stress and less pressure. A smooch under the mistletoe would be fun, but I don’t need it to have the warm fuzzy holiday feeling.
Life is too good.
Let me give you a perfect example.

When Thing1 was a bitty crawly baby, my Mommasita bought me a wooden nativity. It was important to her that my children have one that they could look at and touch and move and talk to and take to bed with them (Thing1 slept with the cow in his crib for months).
It looks like this:

But about the time that Thing2 hit the mischievous age of three, weird things started happening to the holy family. One day they were umm, well, look for yourself…

This became a tradition all on it’s own with Thing2. He is quiet about it. We don’t make a big fuss. He moves ‘em and I laugh hard while moving them back. I never see him rearrange the figures and he never sees me put them back. It’s just a fun game that we play.
However, this year I believe he has upped the stakes a bit:

I know it's kind of like "Where's Waldo" but did you find the interloper in my freezer?

I truly hope that in 10 years, when he is home from college, he’s still screwing with my nativity.

See, warm fuzzies!!!!