Why I still need to edit my kids' thank you notes, and other post-holiday thoughts

We are working our way slowly through some thank you phone calls:
"Hi Aunt Pat, thank you so much for the ornaments. I broke one of them already."

......and laboring over thank you notes:
"Thank you for the $15. I will save it for collag or mayby a car."

"Thank you for the $15. Max stole my idea. I wanted to save the money for collag or a car. That was my idea first."

Yes, the holiday season is officially over, and so is the good will, apparently.

"Mom, can I use some of my Christmas money to buy World of Warcraft?"
"No Max, I have already told you I will not allow you to play World of Warfare."
"WarCRAFT."
"I don't care what it's called. No."

I am in the middle of the official "post-holiday purge" but because I am my mother's daughter, and my mother still has baby clothes from 1975 stored in her basement, it isn't going that well.

"Let's throw out these ballet tights - they have a hole in the knee."
"No, we can use them for something else."
"Like what?"
"Uh...... something. A face mask?"
"People don't wear pink ballet tights as a face mask."
"Of course they do!"

"I don't think we should help facilitate that with these tights."
(sigh) "Fine. Whatever."

I managed to get the holiday decor packed up and put away - at least I thought I did.......... I just discovered a stack of holiday CDs, a wooden santa, and some festive coasters. And oh yeah, the star shaped light is still hanging in my front window. But I kind of like it, so that might have to stay.

And despite all of my friends who went straight from New Years parties to pick up their juice cleanse, I have not been tempted to start fresh with the new year. In fact, last night I ate half a pint of Haagen Dazs and I have no regrets. In fact, I am clinging to reveling in my bad habits. 2013 was a good year for me. I am thankful, and I am celebrating. More of everything in 2014, I say.