'Tis the Season

The first holiday of this season has passed for my family. We’ve never been limited by the calendar for celebrations. If it falls in the same month (or near enough) we’ve been able to make the best of any situation.

Many circumstances encouraged us to hold our “Birthday-giving—Thanks-day” this week. It wasn’t even a weekend. It was made even more hectic because it was “watch week” for the boys at their extracurricular activity.

So we had one child who will shortly be 12! And one who is 10! And lots of turkey and traditional food. And cakes. Yes plural. Because each birthday child needs their own cake. Don't you know. And presents. All the children get presents. Oh my. Because my mother and father decided long ago that it was not fair for just the birthday child to get the goodies. All the children get something on each other’s birthday. Which seems a lot like Christmas, doesn’t it. Thank heavens there are only four of them. Grandchildren, that is.

So since I wasn’t on the receiving end of the gifts but was on the cooking end of the food, I totally blew any semblance of a diet that was going on in my mind at least. I am trying to convince myself that I can repair the damage and not continue to eat my way through the holidays.

My father, sister and her children have left us and only the debris of our gathering remains. I am contemplating the merits of cleaning first and then shopping for the baby shower gift I need for tomorrow or shopping first and cleaning. Anyone who remotely knows me will guess what will really happen. It is likely I will shop first to avoid the idiots lovely horde that descend on the retail landscape on Friday nights, come home, get distracted by my computer and forget to clean and remember only in time to get supper on the table. Martha Stewart, I’m not.

And school? Oh the boys will be working on these for a while, I think.

Thanks, Grandpa.