Surprisingly, this week went well and felt relaxing and calm. It's no secret that my children struggle with holidays to different extents and that the triggered trauma puts a strain on all of us as we live through presumably special times each year. It's difficult to find the balance between keeping things small and low key to increase emotional regulation and doing some of what the kids enjoy in December.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were morning only school and therapy days and we took advantage of the mild weather for afternoon outdoor time. On Wednesday we even ventured to the Nature Center for a hike through the woods which was so much fun.
We had free admission to a large, local drive-through light display and very much enjoyed it.
On Thursday we stayed in - it was cold and dreary - and prepared for Christmas. We started our traditional cinnamon rolls for Christmas brunch, refreshed the greenery around the house, watched a lot of TV, cleaned a little bit, and snuggled up. Of course, we had our annual Christmas Eve picnic on the family room carpet with Polar Express and the NORAD Santa Tracker on in the background. Later in the evening, dear friends surprised us with caroling and gifts. How much fun to see Santa, Mrs. Claus, and an elf in our driveway.
Christmas Day brought just a few presents for each of us, brunch, movies, and of course an Asian carry-out dinner. The weekend was low key and I made everyone pitch in on a cleaning morning.
The elf got a little frazzled this week, but still managed to show up before bowing out... forever.
Week 4 - out the door!
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