As a kid I didn’t like the days following the holidays. I didn’t want to see the decorations come down or watch Dad drag the tree to the curb. Some things never change.
But there is a part of me that’s glad to be returning to the normal routine — grateful to regain the use of the family room and to finally get the toys off the floor. (Talk about barefoot hazards.) There’s one problem though. The kids’ closets and toy boxes are already brimming with stuff.
Most of it is toys and clothes they’ve outgrown. The next few days will be spent donating loads of goods to charity and boxing things up as hand-me-downs. We have large bins in our basement labeled by age. This is also the time to stow the holiday music back into its own special box, and find a way to contain all the gift-wrapping essentials in one organized package.
But there are some things we’ll tuck away more carefully. Visions of lights glittering in their eyes and chocolate coating their lips — excited squeals as toboggans haphazardly race down the hill—and, “Thank you, Santa” screamed out the front door. These things won’t keep. We can only hope we get them again next year.
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