It's in their eyes!

 (sorry for the poor quality of photo.  I did mention I need a new camera, right?  One that allows me to take a super zoom picture so I can people watch from afar.)

If you have been following my Christmas Simplification Plan, you know that I am really trying this year to make the holiday season about happiness and joy.  Not stress and hurry.  I am using the joy and light in the children's eyes to center me when I get a little freaky.  I am trying to channel my mom who was happiest at Christmastime and passed that feeling on to us.  It has worked pretty well.

Most of the time.

However, we did have a particularly tough time getting out of the door to the Music in the Mall recital.  By tough time, I mean I had a meltdown and got mad at everyone.

Really, I'm trying...
And it did get better as the evening progressed.

The recital was lovely, the feeling was festive, and I recovered.

Afterward, Doug and I sat in the mall food court enjoying the not so fine Chinese dining for our 22nd anniversary.  We people watched, of course.   That is when I saw this poor fella having a hard time feeling the joy.  I couldn't resist taking his picture.  Then Doug quipped, "it's in their eyes."  Smart alec.  I guess this crying baby in the big Santa's lap shows how I was feeling earlier in the evening.

Are you feeling this way yet?

I'm a work in progress.
(Happy 22nd anniversary, Doug.  I really loved our unconventional date.)