If I truly felt bad about it, I'd do something different next year, right? Obviously I don't care that much.
Somehow, despite being non-crafty and non-decoratey...we manage to have a great Christmas every year anyway. We have our own lame-o traditions...like making a big fuss decorating the tree and listening to our favorite Christmas albums and reading huge stacks of Christmas books. I don't know. Whatever. My favorite part of Christmas was always the family time...sitting around and just enjoying each other's company and watching people open gifts that you picked out just for them. We still do that.
I am not planning on sending out Christmas cards this year. I feel like there is no reason to. Most people on my Christmas card list are on Facebook, and for everyone else? Well...the kids look pretty much the same, our lives are pretty much the same. I contemplated writing a Christmas letter that said:
S------ CHRISTMAS LETTER 2012.
Please reference last year's letter and add a year to each person's age.
Have a great 2013!
But I decided that would be a waste of stamps. So I think I'll just skip it this year and then send out one next year. Unless nothing has changed. Well, at least the kids will look 2 years older :)
This is just another sign that we have entered the blissfully uneventful, unexciting time of life. It's really not too bad! When you are first married and then first have a child, you are like a first-born...everything you do is new and exciting and people are all paying attention and sitting on the edge of their seats to hear what is happening in your life. Then, when you have been married 13 years, and your children are just normal knobby-kneed kids, you are kind of like the middle child. People love you and will listen to what is happening if forced...but generally you just kind of blend into the background and are uninteresting...everyone has been there, done that. Being a middle child myself, I find this stage very comfortable. I LIKE being boring. Bring it on, BORING. That means we haven't moved, divorced, had another baby, lost our jobs...exciting is terrifying. Boring is good.
However, boring makes for a really dull Christmas card. So no go this year.
Jeff's work is planning on sending him on a trip just before Christmas. He is either leaving Sunday (9th), next Wednesday (12th), or the following Sunday (16th). He will be in France until the 21st or 22nd. Which is...sigh...fine I guess. I mean, he'll be back in time for Christmas. But...sigh. This does not help with my favorite part of Christmas...the being together part. And it means I'll be missing some Christmas-y parties with my girlfriends...a cookie exchange with people I haven't seen in 9 months and book club. Bummer. Last year I missed the cookie exchange because of head lice. So I guess this is better than that? Also, I will be baking alone with the kids and going to the Christmas-y light outings alone with them and shopping alone. I mean, if I had my shit together, we could technically go and do this on Saturday together. But 2 of our 3 toilets aren't working, so Jeff has got a big Saturday planned fixing toilets. Yippee! Home ownership is fun!
Oh, dear. That was very bah-humbugy. We knew that this job would involve travel. So that's fine. He'll probably be in Asia for a few weeks in the spring. So that is yucky. And he thinks I'll be going back to work full time someday! HA HA! Who exactly would watch the children while he is traveling? HA HA HA!
Oh, dear. This is becoming a venting post about Jeff traveling. Must not. He has a wonderfully stable, good-paying job that allows me to stay at home and NOT bake or decorate. I am thankful. Truly.
Okay, enough of that. I'm off to plan what cookies we are baking this year. Yes, I do several varieties despite my dislike of baking. Christmas...it's all about making other people happy. And cookies make my people happy :)
3 comments:
Goodness... so many comments I thought of while reading your post, let's see if I can remember them all!
Before you even said it-- I thought of our family traditions growing up: decorating the tree and putting out mom's little smokers/ the nativity set/ blocks/etc while listening to Christmas music throughout the house. Helping eat the amazing cookies mom would bake and I would sometimes "help" with. Listening to carols before Christmas eve mass, and just being with family until late hours of the night opening gifts one by one followed by our stockings. Sounds like your memories, huh?
As for Jeff being away... the kids will probably be in school until around the time he gets back, right? When are they done? I wish we lived closer and you could just come here. Booo... (speaking of that... we need to catch up about when you will be here. It's been too long since I've seen you and your family!)
Probably should have sent this in an e-mail... but that's ok. :-)
I, for one, would like to say you and your family are anything BUT boring. You don't have to do much to make it special for your kids. Just having you for a Mom makes everything special. Carry on. and enjoy the holiday.
I LOVE Memere's comment :)
It's true that the kids make things fun- even if you are doing everyday stuff. Decorating the tree is a big deal around here...I unwrap ornaments and hand them out and the kids do ALL the docrating with Mike supervising. I leave it however it turns out and it's always simply perfect. Because we've always let them do it, they do a pretty good job of spacing, etc. Anyway and Christmas carols & stories- YES! At home, in the car, etc. We usually have a get together on Christmas Eve and that's always fun + crazy.
I do some baking but there's nothing magical about it and if I involve the kids, then I should have beer or wine for myself as well (LOL!).
Anyway, I think whatever you family does, be it simple or elaborate, that's what makes it special for your kids. Sometimes staged fun turns out being NO fun. And time together? If that's not what holidays are about, then I don't know what is.
I hope Jeff's trip goes smoothly for everyone. If you are fearful of things to do, we can always make a pre-Christmas pilgrimage to your house...LOL!
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