Loving and Hating Vacations

I hate Christmas vacations because:

1. Bits of wrapping paper, boxes, and gifts lay around all week.
2. Crumbs from all-day snacking find their way to chairs, carpets, counters, etc.
3. Everyone is in everyone else's way, trying to figure out new games, read new books, put together new puzzles.
4. There is still the usual cooking, cleaning, and laundry all week long and sometimes it doesn't seem like a break at all for mom.
5. Tempers seem shorter than normal.

But there is more that I love about Christmas vacation:

1. Cozy evenings reading with candles flickering on top of the piano.
2. Putting together a puzzle every year (at least a 1000 piece one)
3. Yummy brunches made every morning by prearranged volunteers.
4. Lots of cookies and candy to make us all fat.
5. Going to the zoo and going out for supper (this has become a yearly tradition. Kinda strange, but it's something we do together every year.)
6. Taking time for playing games together.
7. Christmas music floating around all of us all week.
8. Going ice skating on the new rink in town since the ponds aren't frozen yet.
9. Time to think while the children are occupied elsewhere. (a great gift since we homeschool and there is never a time when the children aren't around here)

Yes I do feel blessed. Remind me of the good times when I feel like complaining, ok???