Goodbye Christmas

We finally took our tree down! I'm so happy! Normally we would have had it down two weeks ago, but my crazy work schedule gets in the way of getting anything done. This weekend I didn't have (much) grading to do, so we took advantage of that and got the tree down. The living room seems so spacious without it.

Of course, those with sharp eyes will notice some problems: the menorah on top of the TV (how long ago was Hanukkah?), the stockings hung on the wall to the left, Christmas cards everywhere. You can't see it, but the Advent wreath is still on the dining room table (we still light the candles some nights). And yes, the train set is still out. We're not quite done putting Christmas away. But we're making progress.

It's important to get Christmas put away before Valentine's Day (we did it ON Valentine's Day), so that you can set out valentines without having them look silly.

The Christmas carol books are actually just sitting on the piano bench, not put away yet either. But at least they aren't sitting up on the music rack, pages open to "Jingle Bells" or whatever.

During the week leading up to V-Day, I heard some of my students mourning their single status and discussing how to spend the day: "I'll probably just buy myself some chocolate and drown my sorrows in it" was a popular refrain.

I'm convinced that Valentine's Day, despite being advertised as an adult holiday, works better for kids. My boys had a great time choosing valentines for their classmates this year, writing their names on each little card. No heartbreak there. Granted, during the years after Rocket Boy and I got married but before we had kids, we used to have fun with V-Day. We had a particular restaurant we always went to (it's since closed), we exchanged cards and chocolate. And maybe later in life we'll do some of that again. It seemed like too much trouble this year to get a babysitter, etc. Instead we went out to lunch on V-Day, with the boys, and all exchanged cards. It was low-key and fun.

Until I got married, most V-Days I was single and just ate chocolate, as per my students' plan. And honestly, those were the good years. Boyfriends can be problematic on Valentine's Day. One particularly bad year, I remember, was my senior year in college. I had a boyfriend -- we had gotten together the previous year, right around V-Day -- and we were on the verge of breaking up, but hadn't yet admitted it to each other. He came over to my apartment for dinner, bringing with him a lovely gift of a necklace. I liked the necklace, but I decided it would be a good idea to ask him why he hadn't also brought me flowers and chocolate. In punishment, God made sure that I did not have another boyfriend on Valentine's Day for seven years.

Well, I'm delaying the inevitable -- must buckle down and get ready to teach tomorrow. I have some grading to do, need to email some students, and most importantly need to finalize my lesson plans for the week. I'm being observed on Wednesday -- can hardly bear to think about it -- and I need to set up another observation for maybe next week or the week after. And I need to go observe someone else. Bleah. No, not bleah, it'll be fine. I'm just feeling the strain of the semester, and it's only Week Six. I know I'll get through it, but sometimes I think HOW???? No, must not think HOW????, must buckle down and get to work. It's 9:40 pm here and I don't have to get up super early tomorrow, because the twins don't have school. Lucky twins. Plus, I had a nap before dinner, which Rocket Boy very sweetly made (fish sticks and frozen peas). So I think I can work for an hour and then head for bed. Maybe. OK, here I go.