Shari
IsItFridayYet?
I must say, perhaps this year, we got Christmas right.
***
Wee's anxiety went thru the roof about 4pm on Christmas eve. He's a firm beleiver in the red-suited guy, and we hadn't visited him this year - and wee panicked, certain Santa wouldn't know what he wanted IF he brought anything at all (wee was also very worried that he hadn't been good and Santa wasn't coming).
***
Some fast thinking, a quick trip to the post office, and a letter to Santa that will end up in the dead letter office, and we had a fairly content wee. He was still very worried that he hadn't been good enough for Santa to come, but he handled it.
***
Christmas morning, he didn't see his goodies from Santa and thought Santa didn't come. Though very sad, he was not hysterical. It took him a while to notice the extra gifts under the tree and his stocking. In his stocking was a note from Santa, praising wee for how hard he has worked this year at school and at home. Of all the other stuff he got for Christmas, that letter is his prized possession. A nerf gun is a very close second, tho. And Santa is learning what kinds of things will fill a day...so he brings new things to do, and he's getting better at this.
***
Christmas at the Brooms' went well. We showed up at the last moment, ate, opened gifts, and came home, just as husband said.
***
We scheduled our Christmas with DEX's family for last night. At the last moment, exMIL panicked that DEX would be angry if everyone met at their house and he wasn't included, so asked to come to our house. I said that was absolutely fine, but I suggested we invite DEX, too, wherever we hold it. ExMIL loved the idea. If DEX couldn't come, so be it...wee could open the gifts from him and she wouldn't feel guilty. If he could, great. If he chose not to because of whacko girlfriend, his perogative. In the end, DEX and whacko girlfriend came. We had a great time. Interaction was limited with whacko (I suspect she is aware that I have been informed of her "wishes" for me to not be around...that certainly would be uncomfortable). DEX's brother from down south was in, and we rarely get to see him because his daughter is very shy and timid and wee scares her. We limit the visits so they are good between the kids and don't scare his daughter. Wee held it together for just over 2 hours, which was the best part. And wee never fell apart, he just started randomly hitting and then clung onto someone's legs...we could see the ramp up starting, and within 5 minutes, we were out the door.
***
Normal Rockwell wouldn't be famous for painting scenes from our family Christmas, but it darn sure was a Hallmark moment in my world.
***
Wee's anxiety went thru the roof about 4pm on Christmas eve. He's a firm beleiver in the red-suited guy, and we hadn't visited him this year - and wee panicked, certain Santa wouldn't know what he wanted IF he brought anything at all (wee was also very worried that he hadn't been good and Santa wasn't coming).
***
Some fast thinking, a quick trip to the post office, and a letter to Santa that will end up in the dead letter office, and we had a fairly content wee. He was still very worried that he hadn't been good enough for Santa to come, but he handled it.
***
Christmas morning, he didn't see his goodies from Santa and thought Santa didn't come. Though very sad, he was not hysterical. It took him a while to notice the extra gifts under the tree and his stocking. In his stocking was a note from Santa, praising wee for how hard he has worked this year at school and at home. Of all the other stuff he got for Christmas, that letter is his prized possession. A nerf gun is a very close second, tho. And Santa is learning what kinds of things will fill a day...so he brings new things to do, and he's getting better at this.
***
Christmas at the Brooms' went well. We showed up at the last moment, ate, opened gifts, and came home, just as husband said.
***
We scheduled our Christmas with DEX's family for last night. At the last moment, exMIL panicked that DEX would be angry if everyone met at their house and he wasn't included, so asked to come to our house. I said that was absolutely fine, but I suggested we invite DEX, too, wherever we hold it. ExMIL loved the idea. If DEX couldn't come, so be it...wee could open the gifts from him and she wouldn't feel guilty. If he could, great. If he chose not to because of whacko girlfriend, his perogative. In the end, DEX and whacko girlfriend came. We had a great time. Interaction was limited with whacko (I suspect she is aware that I have been informed of her "wishes" for me to not be around...that certainly would be uncomfortable). DEX's brother from down south was in, and we rarely get to see him because his daughter is very shy and timid and wee scares her. We limit the visits so they are good between the kids and don't scare his daughter. Wee held it together for just over 2 hours, which was the best part. And wee never fell apart, he just started randomly hitting and then clung onto someone's legs...we could see the ramp up starting, and within 5 minutes, we were out the door.
***
Normal Rockwell wouldn't be famous for painting scenes from our family Christmas, but it darn sure was a Hallmark moment in my world.