Just yesterday I was chatting with a friend about the frequent mistake many of us make in setting huge "happy family" expectations during the 2 week holiday break.

Along with those perky dancing sugar plums, many of us have naggingly hopeful images of our sweet and kind and always grateful children, in their snuggly fleece pajamas, backlit by the glowing christmas tree, enjoying each other as they giggle and share their new toys for 14 straight days in the holly jolly death trap known as Holiday Break.

We desperately long for snowball battles that won't end in bloody noses and black eyes, visiting grandparents that understand and fully support our parenting techniques, gingerbread house construction void of rumbles over who gets that last gumdrop, and no one passing out in our guest baths after one too many hot toddies.

And then we promptly implode when those beautiful images are singed and sometimes burnt to a crisp by the crackling fire in the hearth.

So this holiday break, I plan to go ahead and set the stage for complete celebratory success, take a few yoga breaths, and then sit on back and enjoy the joyful mayhem that absolutely, without a doubt, will ensue.

Ever since my oldest boy became a teenager this past Autumn I've noticed my wise and often annoying spirit reminding me (usually at 4 in the morning), that every moment he's in my home, I've got him on borrowed time.
And it's not always going to be perfect and respectful, and clean, and well behaved time either.

But I gotta say, in 6 years when he's hopping in a used car to come home from college for holiday break I want him to tell his friends how much fun he's going to have when he gets here. Not about how "perfect" everything always is. Perfect sort of scares me.

So super mamas…here's to a the joyful, messy, and ultimately super blessed mayhem we are all about to experience. Bloody noses and all.

*Blog question of the day (I never do this, so it might be the blog question of the year)

Which do you like better Christmas Eve., or Christmas Day? Oh, and WHY? Come on, we have to know WHY!