Single parenting and the holidays

I have to apologize--I took a two week hiatus from blogging in order to get ready for the holidays! I'm sure all of you are busy as well.

This is my favorite time of the year and it's really different now that I have a child in the mix. As many of my friends and family will attest, I used to go crazy with the decorations--now that I have a child and it would actually make sense to put up three Christmas trees (okay, maybe not "sense" but I would at least have an excuse), I can't seem to find the time to do it.

My friend, Leslie Nelson, and I have a competition of sorts going on for who can have the most Christmas houses--those are those little Christmas-themed houses that cost almost as much as a real house that you can make tiny villages with around your home. I have about 30 now and have run out of room in my house to put them. Leslie has many more houses but seems to be able to find incredibly creative places to put them--in bathrooms, kid's rooms, kitchens--I haven't looked under her couch yet, though ;)  The task is so daunting that I have yet to even drag them out of the garage. I will force myself though since I have way too much invested in them. They'll just stay up after Christmas and be "Easter houses" in a few months!

Last night Elizabeth and I were in the Naples, Florida Christmas parade. Well, Elizabeth was in it with her best friend, Vincent--I merely "walked" alongside the car at about 20 miles an hour making sure she didn't fall out of the window. It was fun and it was great to see the thousands of kids and adults who came out to view the parade. I think I created a monster though--Elizabeth liked it so much she got upset when the miles-long parade finally ended and she was no longer the focus of adoring crowds. Guess she liked all the attention. Oh no!! She also got her first real exposure to snow at the Snowfest here in SW Florida--amazingly, the snow lasted long enough to make a snowball however the poor child really needs to see "real" snow!

If you have any great kid-related Christmas stories you'd like to share, please post them. And to all, have a Merry Christmas (and happy other holidays too ;)

KJ