I got an email today that made me realize I haven’t been very honest. It was from someone confessing to not being in the Christmas spirit, and her belief that *I* was in fact, enjoying all the wonders that lead up to the holidays. This is the truth…

Yes, we’ve been looking forward to the holidays; and yes, the kids have been having fun – most of the time – with the advent calendar. Today was board games, and we played almost a full game of Pay Day and did our best with Monopoly. But in the interest of full disclosure:

Today there was more bickering than laughing.

There has been a weird energy in our house at night lately, and none of the kids have been sleeping well.

I, along with millions of other Americans, have been insanely stressed out about money. And money worry is a worry so pervasive that it invariably seeps into all other aspects of life.

And finally, we are having visitors in two weeks, and there is a very real possibility that I will have to stay at home for their entire visit, as the dog still cannot be left safely alone.

It’s a Monday.

Stay tuned for your regular programming of Christmastime fun starting tomorrow.