I hate pulling myself in a million different directions over the holiday season. Being the child of divorced parents provides me with many memories of driving from house to house on Christmas and Thanksgiving. My brother and I would have a late lunch with my Dads family and then would speed off to have some pie with my Moms family. I hated it. Well, I thought I loved it and maybe I did at the time but I am so over it. All I really want to do is sit in my own house with my own decorations and open presents with my kids and my husband (who also happens to be my best friend). But there is so much pressure. His parents want a piece. My Mom wants a piece. My grandparents want a piece. And I just want to be in Arizona.
Jeff parents called and asked if they could come for 'a few days in December,' but that they will leave on Christmas Eve. Man o man, I need to take notes from my Mother in Law for when my kids are grown. I am selfish and would rather just have a quiet Christmas morning, but how can we send them packing on the day before Christmas? And they are so darn organized that they plan for trips in advance, not like me who still thinks I might just hop in my car and go 'home' one of these days. So basically they called 'dibs' on Christmas. How can I resist though? They are wonderful to us, to the kids, and they even like my stinky dog. I am putting my foot down on one thing though! No low fat cooking! No chicken broth in the mashed potatoes! No low sodium anything. I'm going to butter up my turkey as it cooks (oh yes, I'm cooking a turkey on Christmas for the first time) . Giblets in the gravy. Pie pie and more pie. Oh and they are going to give presents only on Christmas morning. No belated Hanukkah presents. We are going to have one big wrapping paper bonanza on Christmas morning. If my kids open presents for 5 days straight they will become major brats and I would like all of the overindulgence to last for one morning only. Who am I kidding though? Jeff will say I am shitting all over his religion (kind of like he did last year when I blew out the menorah...oops!), his parents will be halfway down the stairs with armloads of gifts, and the kids will be foaming at the mouth. I think everyone will be happier if I just surrender to this Hanukkah/Christmas mix. I'm not budging on heavy cream in my mashed potatoes though. Anyway, Christmas is set in stone. I'm excited actually. Since they will be here I can make a feast...for the first time. Does this mean I'm an adult? If being married for 5 years and having 2 kids doesn't make me an adult, preparing Christmas dinner will definitely be the gateway to adulthood.
Thanksgiving will be at Pattys house. I'm very excited for this! We are all chipping in different dishes so does that make it potluck Thanksgiving? It makes me happy because to me, the friends I have made on SBHL sort of mirrors real pilgrims. Different families relying on each other...moving to the same new place to have a better life...coming together to feast in thankfulness. I think it's very cool. All of us do rely on each other whether it's a cup of sugar or just someone to lend an ear. I'm thankful.
So there is just one thing that feels missing from all of my holiday plans. My Mom. My family. My home state. I'm so homesick I could sream. So I think I am actually going to just come out for a weekend. My Mom is having surgery so I will be able to go and help her for at least a day or two. I will bring her starbucks and maybe we can bake christmas cookies. One of my oldest friends Tanya is graduating in December and she is having a party to celebrate it. This is perfect because I can see almost all my friends at one sitting. Gosh it just feels weird to plan a trip by myself without the kids. It's not set in stone yet, but we shall see...
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Holiday Scheduling
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4 comments:
I really feel for you. I know what it's like to miss Arizona so much. I wanted to go back for so long and I wanted to even move back there, even if it was just me and the kids. Then I went. It just didn't seem like home anymore. Thong wasn't there, I couldn't go back to my little house in Gilbert on San Angelo Street. My friends who lived there all had different phone numbers, work schedules, friends and plans. I didn't see but one while I was there.
Sometimes, our memories are so strong, they make us feel that would be reality if we just went back. Too bad though it's not like that in real life.
You should go back though and cram everything you want to do in your trip, whether it's a couple of days or a couple of weeks. See your mom, eat Mattas til you puke, see your friends, go out, party, whatever you want to do that gives you your fill of Arizona. At least enough that will tie you over until your next bout of homesickness. I wish I could go with you. Unless you want to help me give birth though in the plane, it probably won't be a good idea this time. Maybe next time. LOL
As far as Christmas plans, that sounds so much fun. Your in-laws seem so amazing, fun, helpful and NOT INTRUSIVE!!!! How awesome. You really lucked out with that man of yours and his family that came along with him.
You make me laugh about the heavy cream in your mashed potatoes and the butter. You're like my mom that way. She will NOT cut corners when it comes to flavor and if you can believe this or not, I can't tell the difference between whipped potatoes (mashed taters in the mixer as opposed to hand mashed) with skim milk and some salt and pepper and mashed potatoes with heavy cream and butter. LOL.
Your meal sounds scrumptious!!!
And I love the idea about Thanksgiving and having all your friends over to do a potluck type of thing. Makes it SO much easier that way instead of trying to do it all yourself, but it sounds like you'll be doing it yourself on Christmas!
We are like pilgrims, huh? I hat ehtat we are going to miss it this year but we will be killing ducks.
I heard on a TV show from a kid in a mixed religion house say it was Christmakkah. How funny is that?
Oh yeah, that was from me, Kempy
Kempy: You think you are anonymous but the whole 'killing ducks' thing blew your cover! Catch a feathery one for me!!! :)
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