A New Role for a New Year...

Today, at our house, the role of Cleopatra

will be played by Yours Truly.

Why Cleopatra, you ask?

Because. She was Queen of De-nial, of course.

And today, I absolutely and completely confess: I am in SERIOUS denial.

How did these holidays pass me by so quickly?? There is just NO way, after ALL that work and ALL that stress, planning and preparing and cooking... NO WAY that they are already over, and I will be schlepping my poor wee girlies back to their respective schools bright'n'early tomorrow morning.

No. Way.

But, as they say in Wayne's World, "WAAAAYYY!!" And so here I am, scrambling like a madwoman, trying desperately to savour every. single. last. minute. of Holiday Togetherness that I possibly can.

For starters, I have decided NOT to take down the Christmas Decorations this week.

HAH! Take THAT, 2008!!

Oh, I know, I know ALL about that "Twelfth Night" stuff... Revelry and craziness and hot mulled wine and all that. And, as my friend Beck so kindly mentioned on her blog this weekend:

January 5th - The Twelfth Day of Christmas, or Twelfth Night.This is it - the last day of Christmas JUST LIKE IN THE SONG. Take down your Christmas decorations because to have them up tomorrow is terrible luck. In fact, you should burn your tree today if you can.

Well, I'm just going to have to risk it. Because my decorations were just too damn beautiful this year. And the fact that that tree fell on me and nearly did me in absolutely CLINCHES my decision to keep it up another few days, just to wring every single little bit of enjoyment and pleasure out of it that I possibly can. It owes me, people. Big-time.

Today is Epiphany. And for Epiphany, I've had a PERSONAL epiphany.

And that is: I don't have to be "perfect" or "start fresh" today if I don't WANT TO.

What I want to do is go slowly. Enjoy my family. Take it easy...

And earn myself a big, fat Standing-O for portraying an impeccable Cleopatra... Queen of De-Nial... For as LONG as I can POSSIBLY get away with it...