When Daddy Works Christmas

When you are a kid it is sometimes hard to have two parents that work in health care.  Why?  We work odd shift times, we work weekends, and we work holidays.  People still get sick on holidays and the hospital is open every single day of the year.  We miss sporting events, we miss parties, we miss holidays.  Even Christmas. 

My husband's schedule is (and my schedule used to be) that he has to work every other year on Christmas.  His hours are 6am-2:30pm.  It makes for an interesting conundrum.  In trying to come up with how to handle Christmas these are some thoughts that have gone through our heads:

*  We are always out late with our family on Christmas Eve.  We can't keep the kids up late because Santa hasn't had a chance to come yet. 
*  Wake them up early before daddy leaves for work?  We'd have to get them up at 3am to have a chance to get through the pile of gifts before he leaves.  And we usually just went to bed at midnight. 
*  Open gifts without daddy?  That is no fun and not "fair" to daddy. 
*  Wait for daddy to get home from work?  WHAT?!?!  And have to sit and stare at all those tempting gifts under the tree all day long?  No way!
*  Ask Santa to come a day early on Christmas Eve?  That only works when the kids are super little and don't know how to read the date on a calendar.

So after weighing all our options and throwing some tantrums, two years ago we came up with a suitable solution.  We have what we call an "upside down" Christmas.  We always spend Christmas Eve with my family at my brothers house and my parents only live a few minutes from him.  So, we go there as planned on Christmas Eve then rather than coming home, (daddy heads home) the kids and I go to my parents house and spend the night there.  We wake up at their house on Christmas morning and spend a leisurely morning and early afternoon with them.  The kids are delighted that Santa has managed to find them at Mama and Papa's house and my parents are thrilled to have the grandkids on Christmas morning.  We then head home and try to time it for when daddy will be arriving home.

When we get home, the kids are even more delighted to find that Santa still visited here, even though we stayed somewhere else.  We now have our Christmas together as a family.  For dinner we make breakfast for dinner and pretend it is Christmas morning. 

While I would prefer a traditional Christmas Day with all of us at home in our jammies, sometimes we need to be flexible.  This "upside down" tradition we've created seems to be a suitable solution for all of us.

The Day After Christmas

Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house there were wrappings from presents scattered about.

The day after Christmas is sacred in this house.  To me, it is almost better than Christmas day.  Why you ask?  Well it goes back several years when I spent my first Christmas as a mom.  Our Christmas' were hectic, trying to see everyone we could possibly squeeze in.  So, on the day after all I wanted to do was relax.  I declared it a pajama day.  We do not leave the house. We do not allow visitors in. We do not get dressed.  We lounge, snack, eat cookies and play with all of our new toys. All. Day. Long.

Fast forward a few years and for the most part, Christmas day is more relaxed.  I put my foot down a few years back to all the chaos of trying to squeeze all the visits in.  However, our day after tradition lives on. 

Today is even more special.  It is snowing.  We are expecting up to a foot and a half by tomorrow.  Normally I hate the snow and after last winter I never cared if I saw another flake again.  But the kids love it.  When I heard the forecast and realized I don't have plans until Thursday, the kids are home from school, my husband has a few days of work, and our house is filled with so many forms of brand new entertainment I declared Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!  And snowing it is!

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday weekend!

Memories of Christmas: Angels Among Us

Every Monday during the month of December I am sharing my Memories of Christmas.  I hope you'll join in and share yours!

Growing up  I was fortunate to live close to most of my family.  I had one set of grandparents that lived directly across the street and my other grandmother (Nanny) lived just a few minutes away. 

Every year my brother, mom and I would help my Nanny put up and decorate her Christmas tree.  As we got older, my brother eventually stopped coming but my mom and I continued the tradition.  We'd spend hours untangling the lights because each year she would just pull them off the tree and throw them into a plastic grocery bag. 

I'd wait patiently for my mom to then get the lights on so I could start decorating.  Nanny would make hot chocolate to sip to help the waiting go by quicker.  The best part was, Nanny didn't care how I decorated the tree.  She wasn't fussy that a particular ornament go in a particular spot.  She didn't care if ornaments were clustered in one spot and another looked bare.  She just loved that we decorated her tree together.  She would have Christmas carols playing and we'd be singing.  I remember one year telling her I thought she should sing in the choir because she had a beautiful voice.  Some years she would see me admiring an ornament and tell me it was okay to take home for our tree. 

Even when I went off to nursing school I would come home on a weekend in December to put up her tree.  I can remember one year being busy with work and finals and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to manage it.  But I did.

Our final Christmas tree was in 1997.  You see, Nanny developed cancer.  We weren't even sure if she would make it to Christmas but I decided that I was determined to continue our tradition.  My mom and I went out and purchased a smaller artificial tree, pulled out some ornaments and decorations and decorated.  We set it up in her dining room which is where she was now staying because she was too week to make it upstairs any longer.  We decorated much ealier than usual, but we wanted to make sure she had that final Christmas. 

She didn't make it until Christmas.  She passed away on December 13 but she was surrounded by the beauty of Christmas and her family.  I kept most of her ornaments and her angel sits atop my tree each and every year.  I like to think of it as her looking down and keeping watch over us.

Friday Fragments

I haven't participated in a Friday Fragments in quite some time!  Since this week has been too frantic to pull some good posts together I figured this is a great way to unload some of my thoughts.

*  The first grade classes put on a holiday play this week called the Great Gingerbread Caper.  It is a very good show and the kids did a fantastic job.  My daughter was thrilled to have gotten a "special" part in the play.  The morning of the show she said to me "Mommy you need to take a shower because you have to come to the school today."  I acknowledged this and tried not to laugh.  Then she said to me "You need to look pretty because there will be other moms there.  Can I pick out your outfit?"  What is this kid trying to tell me???

*  Fast forward a few hours past the show and I met up with my mom.  She kept looking at me.  First she commented on my shoes then she kind of gave me the once over.  Then she said "Why do you look so different today?  You actually look cute."  Seriously?  Ouch. 

*  Remember these beautiful ponsettias?  Well, we sold them as a fundraiser for scouts.  Guess who ran the fundraiser?  Yup, me.  And our delivery was the day the artic freeze decided to come and settle in.  I spent the day in 19 degree weather schlepping poinsettias.  Good news is they were beautiful and we made some money for our Pack.

*  My girlfriend's annual Ornament Exchange party was last weekend.  My rag wreath ornaments were a hit.  It was a great night, as usual.  We had great food, great company, beautiful ornaments, and great gifts!  I'm looking forward to it again next year.

*  I've been having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year.  I'm really struggling with it and I don't know why.  I'm extremely disorganized this year and am in no way ready for it to be here next week.  However, I'll continue to keep moving forward and checking things off my To Do List.  When it arrives I'll have a lovely day with my family. 

For more Friday Fragmets be sure to pop on over to visit Mrs. 4444

All I want for Christmas

This morning I was refereeing a fight between Baby Girl and The Middle Child.  (this is how most mornings go actually).  Baby Girl yelled "He stole my bouncy ball and I want it back!".  My response?  "You stole my sanity and I want THAT back!".  She looked at me and said "What is sanity?"  It just goes to show that I've been without it long enough that my children don't even know what it is!

So Santa, dear, if you are listening, I'd like a healthy dose of sanity delivered to my stocking this year. 

Memories of Christmas: Fashion Finds

Every Monday for the month of December I will be sharing a childhood memory of Christmas.  I'd love for you to join in and share yours!

Each year, the day after Christmas we would go to my Aunt Sissy's house.  I loved to go to her house but I must admit the reason was quite selfish.  You see, my aunt made homemade doll clothes.  She would take my cousin and I up to her sewing room and point out racks of doll clothes.  We would each be allowed to pick out an outfit as our Christmas gift.  Some years it would take me forever to decide!

My favorite thing in the world used to be my Cabbage Patch Kid, Kelsey Lynn.  (yes, I still remember her name!)  That doll was dragged everywhere!  So of course Kelsey would go along to Aunt Sissy's home and she would leave dressed in a beautiful new outfit.

December 26, 1984

Now that my daughter is old enough to be interested in changing the clothes of her dolls I don't have my Aunt Sissy's sewing room to browse for an outfit.  I do however always find myself drawn to the vendors at craft fairs that sell homemade doll clothes!  I spend an inordinate amount of time browsing their racks and pondering the perfect outfit.  How wonderful it would have been if we had another generation enjoying Aunt Sissy's handmade creations!

Link up and share your memories of Christmas!

Rag Wreath Ornaments

Each year my friend hosts an Ornament Exchange Party.  It is very much like a cookie exchange, only with homemade ornaments.  We bring our ornaments, a pot luck dish and a grab bag gift and spend an evening among friends catching up, sharing plans, and enjoying the holiday spirit.  It is really a wonderful evening.

I always like to think I'm crafty but in reality what I think my crafting capabilities are compared to what my capabilities actually are, well those are two different things.  So each year I try and come up with an ornament that is super cute yet easy.  This year I'm making Rag Wreath ornaments. 

So super easy, you can make them too!  First, start saving the plastic lids to containers.  Anything will work, margarine tubs, sour cream, canned frosting.  You will need a craft knife and a self-healing mat.  If you don't have a mat, protect your work surface with a piece of cardboard.

Using your craft knife, cut out the center of the plastic lid.

You will be left with a hollow ring:

Next you will need fabric.  I chose Christmas prints but anything will do.  You will want to cut or tear your fabric into strips that are approximately 1-1 1/2" wide by 6-6 1/2" long. 

Then you take your strips and tie them around your plastic ring:

When your ring is full your wreath is done!

Add a ribbon or a string for hanging and you have yourself a lovely ornament!

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Spirit

A trip to the greenhouse is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit!

Memories of Christmas

Each Monday during the month of December I will be sharing a childhood memory of Christmas.  I would love if you would join me and share your memories!

When I was a kid I used to love my Barbie dolls.  I owned a gazillion of them and many of their accessories.  But the thing I had always lusted over was the Barbie Dream House.  A close second was the Barbie Townhouse.  So of course these made it onto my list to Santa.

One Christmas morning I woke up and ran downstairs to see if Santa had come.  There standing in front of the tree was the Barbie Townhouse.  I remember just standing there staring at it.  I even rubbed my eyes to be sure I was actually seeing it in front of me. 

After I was sure it was really there I went racing back up the stairs to alert the rest of the house.  I was screaming the whole way that Santa had come and burst into my parents room to start jumping on the bed.  Did I mention that I was the kind of kid that thought 4 am was a perfectly acceptable time to get up on Christmas morning? 

Just a few years ago I had returned to school.  I needed an art class as a general education requirement and I signed up for a childhood art class.  One week our assignment was to make a collage using a picture of a childhood memory.  I chose a picture of me and my Barbie Townhouse.  I covered it in a haze of silver glitter because to me, that is how I remembered that morning, all shiny and new and wondering what I was seeing through the haze of Christmas glory.   I can't seem to find that picture now or I'd be sharing it with you!

Now I get to relive Christmas mornings just like this, only I'm the parent whose bed is being jumped upon!  Share your memories of Christmas with me!

A letter to my friend

Dear Friend,

I wanted to let you know that I miss you.  Even though I'm still hurt and maybe even a little mad, I miss you.  We grew up together, were friends for over 20 years.  How did our relationship get to the point that a silly disagreement turned into a friendship ending event?

I can't help but think back to the first time I met you when we were in first grade.  You had this red plaid dress and pig tails that I remember like it was yesterday.  I remember walking home with you after school and thinking that your road was a million miles long.

I remember all the sleepovers, all the birthdays, all the bowling on Saturday mornings, all the trips to the malls, all the french fries shared.  Do you remember passing out on the escalator in Macy's?  I remember all the giggles, all the secrets, all the plans we made.  Do you remember all of our matching outfits?

What I don't remember is when our relationship began to change.  We went from spending almost every waking moment together to not knowing the ins and outs of each others lives.  But I figured that was okay, we were still friends.

Then it happened.  What could have been a little disagreement turned into something more.  Something big.  Something life changing.  It took us out of each other's lives. 

I find myself wondering about you from time to time.  I wonder where you are living, if you've had any kids yet, what grade you are teaching.  How did your wedding turn out?  Remember that baby I was pregnant with?  I had a girl.  She is 6 now, turning 7 in February. 

I'm not one to forgive and forget however, I'd like to think I can move on.  I wish that at some point moving on brings you back into my life in some way.  I hope you are well.  I hope you are happy.

Love,
B

For more Writer's Workshop visit Mama Kat!

Merry SITSmas!

Pop on over to the SITS Girls to see what festive celebrations they have going on!

Oh, and join me in spreading some Christmas Spirit!