i'm pretty sure i've earned a day off

i think that after the "festive" season of the year, mothers worldwide deserve a day off. maybe we should schedule it together...a day we could meet at starbucks and then hit the movies to watch something our spouses would complain about, a day we could meet for lunch and then read books while getting mani's and pedi's. i'm pretty sure we have earned it.

somewhere in the middle of all the holiday bliss, it seems to have fallen on the mothers to create the "magic" of christmastime. i don't know about your own families, but in my house, the burden of christmas shopping, wrapping, organizing, budgeting, decorating, cooking, and cleaning falls on my shoulders. it's not enough anymore either to simply to provide presents for your family on christmas morning. it's now our responsibility to somehow foster in our children a greater sense of the gratitude of the season, create a spirit of giving in the midst of an "i want" society, and to practice traditions that our kids can enjoy for years to come. add the social media onto that and you've got the pressure of reading about mothers who are dressing their "elf on the shelf" up on various barbie type ensembles to add to the allure of the season, creating homemade crafts for each day their children are away from school, and baking the most complicated and time consuming recipes to take pictures of and then post for the rest of us to envy. my own mother told me her "schedule of events" for her christmas week with my siblings. it was like christmas on crack. seriously, could there be any more pressure? add the "joy" of holiday company and it's a wonder we all survive.

i read several christmas day facebook posts and found that the vast majority of those posting "best christmas ever!" were males. it figures. most of the moms were either popping open a bottle of wine, hitting the christmas fudge or were already passed out in bed from utter exhaustion. some may have done all three. no judgement here if that was you.

i'm sure there has to be a study somewhere monitoring the amount of domestic discord that goes on between a lot of spouses around christmastime. i know there has to be an increase in the number of arguments because i've listened to my own friends telling me how frustrated they are. the stress level for mothers universally rises for the entire month of december. add to that husbands who don't understand what all the fuss is about and you've got a recipe for disaster.

so, here's what i really want for christmas each year...a day off. when the tree is packed away and all the visitors have left the premises, when all the new christmas toys have been organized and the house has been re-cleaned, i want a day completely to myself. i want a day where my biggest question is, "what do i want to do today?" and then i want to act on it. i don't want to get out of bed until i feel like it. i want to eat out completely alone (or maybe with a girlfriend) and spend time reading a book. i want to return home when the kids are in bed and spend a few moments with my husband. for one day during the holiday season, i'd like a day to be selfish. i know, that goes against the spirit of the season, but i think for one day, the season will understand. what do you think? who's with me?