So - I am catching up on some thoughts when starting this...this one is more from last week although it is timely now too...I have a bit of baa humbug. I love the Christmas Decorations to go up and even felt initially that we should have decorated more...initially. Because we put our tree in our living room (which is fairly small), we move the love seat over to the door between that living room and the hall to the garage, laundry room and bathroom - everything felt more cramped. The only door in and out now had a gate on it that butts up against the gate on the stairs. Not to mention the Christmas Cards, the toys that are there anyway, the additional items for serving, etc...my house felt like a pit the whole Christmas Season!!!
I also am jonesing to have our own Christmas Day and days after Christmas. I know I will miss some of it later on - but am just struggling with the craziness of it all. We go to your Grandparents on Christmas Eve with all your "Daly" cousins (the Dalys and the Jones). You play with your cousins while your aunts, uncles and we go to Cheers for a couple of drinks. I must say I do like that - it feels relaxing. But then we get back to your Grandparents' house and it is a whirl wind of eating, opening presents, getting into PJ's and leaving...it just feels a bit chaotic and not terribly enjoyable. Perhaps we need to go in town earlier and have a bit more of a relaxing time at your Grandparents. Maybe I will suggest that next year...if they let us drop you all off again ;)
Then on Christmas Morning, we rip through your presents, maybe eat something and then everyone is in the car to go to your Avo's house. We try to have everything packed and in the car the night before so we can just go. This doesn't let us enjoy our time together - opening presents, playing with them, perhaps having a nice relaxing breakfast together... I know if we stayed, people would want us at Dottie's - and that would be nice. But I fear your dad would think I wanted to stay home for that - and that isn't true...and he would be resentful of another holiday with my family.
It is not at all that I don't love your Avo's and there are definitely perks to being there. I actually took a couple of naps with you this time and I don't cook or have much to do. But we come home and have all the presents to put away, you guys to take care of and things are just as chaotic. I do have to get better about returning things while in New Jersey, I think. That would at least take care of some things. This goes back to living in the moment. I need to cherish this time with everyone as we won't always have it...but I can't help but be anxious for times when you guys are a bit more independent and perhaps requesting a bit more time at home is seen just as that and not avoiding your New Jersey family.
So where is the advice in this post...it seems like I am just complaining. I think my advice is this - you need to create your own traditions. This is easier said than done - if roles were reversed and we were down in Jersey, I am sure I would want to come up as soon as possible to see "my" family. I also know that in the future, we won't get down as much because you will have sports and activities on the weekends. So again, we are living in the moment so you see as many people as possible. And also, I need to let some things go. So we live in a bit of a mess for a bit - we all had fun and saw family.
OK - my advice is this - if you and your family don't live near us when you are grown, show me this blog and then tell me what kind of schedule you want to make to come see us :) I swear I will be open and only complain about it to your father when we are alone ;)
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