Thankful in December

For us Canadians, our Thanksgiving is long over once December rolls around on our calendar. But the American Thanksgiving last week has me thinking about being thankful.

December is a busy time, especially for parents of young children. There are parties and concerts and lots of shopping to be done so it's often a stressful time trying to get to everything and do everything that needs to be done during the holidays.

Today, I am reminding myself that even in all the rush leading up to Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) it doesn't have to bring out the Grinch in you. After a particularly crazy week of juggling work and childrens' activities, this weekend I am going to focus on being thankful for:

1. Concerts - Instead of fussing over clothes and hair, I am going to be thankful for the music and smiles that I see on the stage at the school concert. This is the time for our children to shine, even the shy ones who need a bit more support. I'm going to listen, really listen and smile back at the beautiful, innocent and often toothless smiles I see at our concert.

2. Parties - I often worry about what to wear, what to bring, how the children will behave... and I'll probably still do that but I also will be thankful that we have friends and family who invite us into their homes and who want to be around us and celebrate. Instead of looking at the calendar and getting overwhelmed at all of the commitments we have in the coming weeks, I'm going to see these events as opportunities to catch up on the lives of friends and family and share our stories with them.

3. Shopping - This one is a bit tougher... although the stores can be crazy and I stress about finding THE perfect gift, this year I'm going to try to cross items off my list and be thankful that I have a lot of people for whom I buy presents. This means that I have lots of people to love and who love me too.

I am also thankful for the amazing blogging community that I am part of and the fabulous content that is created online to help us all thrive during the holidays. Here are some helpful Tips to Survive a Visit with Santa in the Mall and 20 Ways to Celebrate Christmas Eve with Your Kids.

One more thing, I'm going to be thankful when I remember to move our Elf on the Shelf!! Sometimes it's the little things that make you most thankful!

What are you thankful for the Christmas? Let me know.