Celebrating Progress!

With so many factors outside my control, it helps to keep things in perspective when I celebrate the small wins and daily progress. So yesterday before I went to bed I cleaned ALL the dishes. I did not leave any for the next morning. Then this morning I woke up made breakfast (using up those sweet potatoes and zucchini I was worried about losing to food waste as well as some onion and mushrooms and 2 fried eggs) for Lulu and I, Sampson made some gluten free mac n cheese. After breakfast I cleaned up ALL the dishes again. This is progress and where I am focused on staying. I CAN keep my dishes up to date, so I WILL keep my dishes up to date. Sure there are times it will be tempting to let them slide and do them later, tomorrow or the next day. I am even sure there will be times (family celebrations) that after keeping up with the dishes while preparing the meal I don't feel like washing all the plates and serving dishes. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. What I won't do is let it defeat me or overwhelm me. 

The girl, the boy and I moved on to the Christmas Tree. Yes I did intentionally leave it up until the New Year. While I am not a Christian, I am of German Heritage so Epiphany or Little Christmas has some meaning for me. Plus I love the look of an ever green tree. Did you know that the tradition of bringing an ever green into the house pre-dates Christmas (not sure if it predates Solstice or Yule). In olden times (my way of saying I don't remember the time period it dates to), people would bring in boughs or whole ever green trees to remind them that they too would survive the long, cold, dark winter. It was a bit of greenery to lift the spirit, color and scent the home. Typically by the time the boughs/tree had dried out, spring arrived. Not sure about the adding candles, but I do know that also pre-dates Christmas. Maybe I'll do the research into it before next Christmas. Personally I am tempted to keep my tree up in the corner (without its decorations) for the rest of the winter... 

but I stopped watering it on Christmas so the needles are dropping fast...

Last night we took all the ornaments and lights off the Christmas tree and put them in their boxes for another year. Sampson mentioned that he liked taking the ornaments off the tree more than putting them on the tree. It is kind of a find and seek adventure. I love removing the ornaments because when the kids can't remember whose ornament is whose it is my opportunity to tell them the story associated with their ornament. 

So today I am tasked with putting their ornaments in the attic, returning my stocking, tree topper, tree skirt and long red cap to my Christmas Box and the dragging the tree out to the curb. Once that is done I think a good thorough sweep of the living room and maybe some furniture rearranging. Maybe I'll bring the benches and their drawers in from the porch (I should do that sooner rather than later before the elements ruin them).