Holiday aftermath...

We made it... whew!

This was a tough Christmas for me. It isn't the fact that I am still struggling to learn all I need to learn to be a "father" after 20+ years of not being a father... I'm rational enough to know that ANY man raising children has to deal with that on a daily basis, not just us late bloomers. It wasn't the money either... although that was a factor, I admit. I'm still making less than half of what I was prior to the hurricane, and that makes for a shoe-string budget at best.

For me, it was the HOURS.

Last year was my first Christmas with Liz and the kids... and I wasn't working. I was still sweating the sale of my house in MS, and my savings were rapidly running out, but we had budgeted to give the kids a really good Christmas, and with some planning and careful shopping, that was accomplished rather nicely, I think. What really helped was the fact that I had the time to do so much stuff around the house... clean, decorate, bake, cook, clean, clean and clean some more. Even though it was just us last year (three kids and Liz and I), I feel like I got SO much more done in the run up TO Christmas than I did this year.

I really am beginning to hate grave shift.

BUT... it worked out. We did it, and the kids had a GREAT Christmas morning. We all went to church Christmas Eve and the 4-year-old got to put the Christ Child in the manger of the Nativity scene at the front of the church... he looked great and actually behaved very well for such a long and (for him) boring service. The other two served at the altar, and did a great job too.

Liz had everything packed, wrapped and ready for Christmas morning, and I got up about two hours before the kids and had hot cinnamon rolls ready for them (and coffee for the adults!). It was a big success.

I know that in the near future, the schedule is going to change at work for me... and I will get either ALL of swing shift, or a broken shift between days and swing... but it can't come soon enough for me.

That's what I want for Christmas... a new shift.

*grin*