It's that time of year again - the temperature is dropping and the air is colder. Christmas music is playing on the radio, we've decorated the house, and finishing up on the gift shopping.
We recently purchased that electric fireplace television stand and it's been a great addition to the house. I always enjoy the comfort of being warm.
My son celebrated his 11th birthday last month and it makes me wonder why time has to go by so fast. He has accomplished so much already in just 11 years and I couldn't be more prouder. Being in the cub scouts has given him the opportunity to experience many things and is helping him to grow to be the man he will one day become. I just hope the years ahead don't fly by as fast as these last 11 years did, but it will, so I'm embracing every moment. Every year we ask the kids what they would like to do for their birthday, either a party or go somewhere fun. This year he picked dinner at a buffet and bowling. It was a fun, family day. Tomorrow we watch as he performs with the other 5th and 6th graders in band in the school's Christmas band and chorus concert. Our boy does well in everything he tries.
My daughter has been busy with dance classes. Not only is she taking her three classes each week but she's been spending extra time rehearsing for two different shows for Christmas. Last week she joined Moscow Ballet Great Russian Nutcracker as a snowflake. Moscow Ballet offers a great program where they travel the country and allow young dancers to audition and dance with them on stage. This was a thrilling time for our little dancer. She had so much fun. She was able to take the day off from school while she rehearsed and hung out with her dance friends. Then in the evening was the performance and it was great. Watching as our daughter was on stage with professional dancers who come from different parts of the world, how cool is that? She talks about being a professional dancer so this gave her just a glimpse of what that will be like. These photos, except for the last one, are from Moscow Ballet.
Her next Christmas show is this Saturday. Then, hopefully, things will slightly slow down.
I actually do not mind when things get busy. When life is busy my body is moving and my mind is occupied. That's what I need, especially through the winter months. This is the time of year when I can feel myself fall into depression. Depression is something that is a constant battle for me but the colder season brings it on much worse. I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning and all I can think about is wanting more sleep -- but I get up. It might take a little more time and energy but I do get up. I go through the motions of getting my kids ready for school, doing the housework, sometimes volunteering in my daughter's classroom, working in the cafeteria, grocery shop, more housecleaning, playing with the kids, taking them to wherever they need to go, etc., but getting through all of that, as much as I enjoy it, is often a struggle to get me motivated to do so. It requires a lot of pushing but I get there. I have to. This morning I kept thinking of how I didn't want to go into school to volunteer but when I went in and hung out with the kids it made me feel so much better and I enjoyed how much they made me laugh. It's the same when I work in the cafeteria. Those kids really help cheer me up and it's three hours where I get to be out of the house. I joke around a lot with my coworkers and I've learned that joking around, even if they are stupid jokes, is what helps me to cover up any negative thoughts that may try to pop into my head. People often say that we need to take life one day at a time but with someone suffering depression the only thing that works is taking it one moment at a time. I push through the day the best I can but by the end of the night after the kids have been tucked in I feel physically and emotionally done, I felt that way last night. When I tell people I do not like the winter it seems to be something they can't understand. There is a thing called Season Depression or Winter Blues. It's a battle that takes strength to fight it.
