Yep I took Christmas decorations, tree and all down last night. I am exhausted with the holidays. They were not too terrible but I was ready for them to be over. The overwhelming warm fuzzy family feelings were going to catch up with my RAD sooner or later. Catch up they did. The melts have started, the threats, the overall "I hate being happy" feelings have reemerged. I knew it would happen and was relatively prepared for it. Holidays = Trauma. We all have to go through it. At the onset of yet another I am over this happiness melt I decided to eliminate all of the decorations and reminders that fun times were had. Oddly enough as soon as the last box was packed up with Christmas wonderfulness the grumpy RAD was regulated and calm.
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Hard for the other kids because they love the holidays. Sometimes it is hard to stop everything for RAD. Sometimes we don't, sometimes we don't have a choice.
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Christmas itself was pretty good to our family. We had food, family, fun and of course presents. We do not go too overboard. We made that mistake in the beginning. We try to mute it at all costs and partake in what we feel is the true meaning of Christmas.
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Family and friends don't make this time of year much easier. I love the looks I get, the stares, the questions, the unwanted comments (made in front of my RAD mind you) and snide remarks...time for everyone to go home along with their perceptions of my children and their comments. I had just started being comfortable with my own idea of normal while parenting RAD children. I am sure they all mean well but I would just rather stick to my VERY small circle of people who "get it" and "get me".
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For those of you reading this blog that fall in the above category, you know who you are and sadly I do hear everything you say about our family. Despite your tone or your views, we are happy with our decisions and love our beautiful life. I wish you could see God's work staring you in the face.
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I hope everyone else had a good Christmas and a great New Year. I am looking forward to March.
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I did find something rather inspiring this season. I spent time looking at my kids, my husband, other people's kids, other people's spouses and I thought to myself...frustration, therapy, craziness and all...I am one lucky woman and thankful everyday for my children. None of them were by surprise. Everyone of them planned and hand picked for me. I found a small batch of peace, within myself.
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Sisters, here's to finding a peace within you and loving who you are and what you mean to everyone around you.
You held out for the long haul, my friend! My stuff came down Tuesday morning for the very same reasons yours did. It was time to put the Holidays to bed for another year. Believe it or not, more than one person I know actually started taking stuff down Christmas night! We're also doing precious little for New Year's for the same reason we put all the decor away so quickly. It's just too much for my adorable kids. They will likely be in bed well before 9:30 tomorrow...and I might just head there myself shortly thereafter. Saturday will still be Jan 1, 2011 regardless of whether I stay up until midnight or not.
ReplyDeleteWe are so not even close to done with Christmas around here, 1 more week and then we can move on, I am ready. May 2011 be all that you hope and more.
ReplyDeleteI did a post about this too, my RADlet does not do change, and even though Christmas is FUN and AWESOME and you get GIFTS, all those things are a change and change is no good.
ReplyDeleteHi, I saw your blog link on 'the roster' and thought I would pop in to say HI!