Day Nine: Fresh, Crisp Evergreen Scent

I'm pretty tired right now, so I think this will be a quick one.

Today we got our Christmas tree so my house is filled with the fresh, crisp scent of an evergreen tree. (I used that phrase in an email I just sent and I couldn't help recycling it!) My four year old was disappointed because he wanted a "fake" tree this year. Apparently since his grandparents got a fake tree this year he thought we should have one. I told him that real trees are great because of their smell, but he didn't buy it. He still wanted a fake one. Hopefully when we decorate tomorrow he will change his mind :)

We also went to a great birthday party today. There were lots of kids and my boys were actually social, as in I didn't see them for most of the two hours except to help in getting them cake and juice boxes. I was glad though. It was so nice to see them acting so independent of me and making friends. That's where preschool has really helped out my older son. He used to be very shy and now he's really opened up to people, especially people he doesn't know.

And finally, my day was made complete when I put together a Christmas soundtrack of my own on my Myspace page. (Thanks to my sister Julie!) I open up with a stellar rendition of NKOTB's "Funky, Funky Christmas" followed by (in no particular order) the theme from the Grinch, a couple of Chipmunks Christmas songs, Old Blue Eyes singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas," the ever popular "Feliz Navidad," Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song," and for Cheryl, Anne Murray's "Can I Have This Dance." (Yes, I realize that the last one is not a Christmas song, but Cheryl and I have this running joke about Anne Murray, which believe me wouldn't be as funny to you as it is to us, and I couldn't find a Christmas song by Ms. Murray anywhere on the music site I was on.)

So that about does it. I am grateful for all these things and so many more. I'm really just grateful that I'm alive and well enough to enjoy my daily life and this sitting down at the end of the night to think about the good things in my life each day have really helped me to avoid all the stress and hustle and bustle of the season. (You're right, Shani. I am starting to sound like Pollyanna!! Oh well!)