This year has zoomed by, hasn’t it? I can’t believe the year is almost through.

I’m excited that we’ll be at home for Christmas (last year we were in Paris), so that we can enjoy the decorations and treats here. The tree is up and everything’s decorated.

Today I did the bulk of the holiday shopping for friends and family. Thought I got some pretty good deals.’til I realized I forgot Max’s toys! Big Fail.

I hope to wrap up my holiday cards this weekend. I’ll feel pretty much done if I can order what I forgot and wrap everything this weekend!

Photo: Flickr user paparutzi. Creative Commons 2.0.

Max just finished soccer season (thank GOD!). We want him to choose something else. He’s ambivalent. Not into martial arts right now. Doesn’t want to do basketball. He’s a homebody and would rather do nothing, but we’re of the mindset that we should nudge him to at least try something.

What about you? Do you force encourage your kids to participate in a sport or activity? What if they’re not interested in anything?

When I was little, I would have loved to taken classes, but my parents weren’t the type. I don’t want to push him, but I do want him to expand his world.

I was driving my car, windows down, sunroof open. Listening to Christmas songs. Despite having lived in California and before that, Florida, for 7 years, I still can’t get my head around having a sunny, warm Christmas.

To me, the holidays are about wearing hats, scarves and gloves. Stamping the occasional snow out from your shoes. Picking out a Christmas tree from a place where Christmas trees could feasibly grow (I still don’t know where they come from here!). Putting up snowmen decorations because you’ve actually built a snowman.

Here, everyone decorates with reindeer and snowflakes, but kids have no idea what they mean! I’m glad Max has seen snow (though he was terribly unimpressed by it).

I don’t know why I complain. I hate the cold. That’s why I’m here. But growing up in Arkansas, I attached certain weather with the holidays, and I guess I’ve never gotten over that!