Today is a happy day at our house, a day of celebration (well, at least we had ice cream sundaes). What’s up, you wonder. Well, today Jonathan, my almost six year old, passed his swimming test. No, he isn’t a champion swimmer yet. It basically just means I no longer have to fear that he will drown if I get distracted for a moment by his brother.

Yet there are several reasons I am truly happy and excited about it:

The first is of course the no-more-drowning part.

The second is the relief that we will no longer have to attend swimming lessons three times a week (which put quite a strain on our family life, especially as the boys basically had to skip lunch on two of those days).

The third is that we will not have to shell out the big bucks for a different swimming class with maybe better instructors (or at an indoor pool)

But the biggest happiness comes for a different reason. You see, learning to swim was not easy for Jonathan. He was not one of those children who jump in and swim like a fish in a matter of days. It was hard for him to learn the right movements. He was spooked of the deep water. He was worried that he would never manage to pass the test at the end. He had to watch friends who started at the same time he did pass the test weeks ago.

And yet, he persevered. He practised his leg movements at home. He went to all the classes. He fought his fear of the unknown, of the deep water, of failure. And his perseverance paid off today.

Being able to swim is an accomplishment that will be helpful all his life. But I believe that the other lesson he learned this summer will be even more important.

Now all that’s left to do is sewing the badge onto his swimming trunks. Let’s hope it doesn’t take a lot of perseverance on Jonathan’s part to get me to do that.

One of the birthday cakes I made inspired by the Cake Central website.

The icing isn't all the way smooth but certainly much smoother than it was before I learned the paper towel trick.

Anyway, they also have pictures (and recipes) for many Christmas themed cakes. Everything from Rudolph, the rednosed reindeer to Christmas trees. Now, for me, Christmas time is cookie time and I don’t usually bake any cakes during the holiday season. But after looking at this site, I probably won’t be able to resist trying at least one or two. The boys are sure to love it.

Christmas is still a long way off and yet, before we know it the holidays will be here. Last year, our family pretty much missed out on the holiday season because we were on vacation. As much as we all enjoyed spending the better part of December in sunny Florida, meeting Mickey and his friends, I have determined that this year we want to go all out for the holidays.

I remember how much I loved Christmas when I was little. Sure, I still like it today, but there is something about the magic of the holiday season that only children can see. This year the boys will be three and six, the perfect age to really participate but not too old to truly see that magic (or so I hope).

We have been getting busier and busier. I figure an early start will help me to fully engage with Christmas without losing my mind (or patience). The biggest challenge for me, as always, is to curb my perfectionistic tendencies. The tastiest food, most splendid Christmas tree and elaborate cookies do not ensure a merry Christmas if Mom is grumpy, stressed and plain unhappy. So the plan is to have a great Christmas without stressing.

The boys blinded by the sun at Walt Disney World