Ahh, Christmas: The season of light and color; of music and laughter; of cabin fever and gluttony. Our Christmas vacation began with a 7 hour road trip to Grandma's house. In my earlier years of motherhood, I would spend such a trip digging through little toy-packed suit cases, sitting twisted around in my seat making silly faces and trying to keep the kids from killing each other. Now I have succumbed to the mobile media demons that rule our existence. (AKA: The Car TV!) I used to judge and condemn parents who used those. But now I understand. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO DO!!! When I was a kid we could fold down the seats, lay out blankets and lounge around playing and sleeping and stretching. Now we harness our kids into tiny little chairs that don't even allow them the shift their weight side ways. My kids aren't used to being stationary, so after the two hour mark they begin to resemble a pack of coked out hyenas. So I filled their little heads with visions of Harry Potter, Peter Pan, and Sky High, while I spent those hours talking to my husband without interruption. Heavenly.
We arrived just in time for a light supper, after which Grandma begin putting in front of me a few options for a little treat. Then a few more options. And a few more after that. She put so many dang desserts in front of me that it became absolute comedy. I had to take a picture, lest one should call me a Big Fish Storyteller. Grandpa, our eternal Health Nut, threw in his two cents for the photo... to be seen in the upper right hand corner.
This was actually the first time in my married life we spent Christmas at someone else's house. I did miss the traditions that we had to skip, but it was beyond lovely to be in my Mother-in-Law's care. We mothers aren't usually on the receiving end of that kind of nurturing. It was very healing to be able to sleep in, read a book, flirt with Jonathan... I didn't have to cook, or do any serious cleaning. I even got some relief from Kid-Care duty! That would have been gift enough! But, spoiled as I am, I also got a plethora of other goodies like a new Lap Top & some Pampered Chef tools... All in all, this Christmas gets a very high score on the Holiday Charts.
Ahh, Christmas: The season of light and color; of music and laughter; of cabin fever and gluttony. Our Christmas vacation began with a 7 hour road trip to Grandma's house. In my earlier years of motherhood, I would spend such a trip digging through little toy-packed suit cases, sitting twisted around in my seat making silly faces and trying to keep the kids from killing each other. Now I have succumbed to the mobile media demons that rule our existence. (AKA: The Car TV!) I used to judge and condemn parents who used those. But now I understand. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO DO!!! When I was a kid we could fold down the seats, lay out blankets and lounge around playing and sleeping and stretching. Now we harness our kids into tiny little chairs that don't even allow them the shift their weight side ways. My kids aren't used to being stationary, so after the two hour mark they begin to resemble a pack of coked out hyenas. So I filled their little heads with visions of Harry Potter, Peter Pan, and Sky High, while I spent those hours talking to my husband without interruption. Heavenly.
We arrived just in time for a light supper, after which Grandma begin putting in front of me a few options for a little treat. Then a few more options. And a few more after that. She put so many dang desserts in front of me that it became absolute comedy. I had to take a picture, lest one should call me a Big Fish Storyteller. Grandpa, our eternal Health Nut, threw in his two cents for the photo... to be seen in the upper right hand corner.
This was actually the first time in my married life we spent Christmas at someone else's house. I did miss the traditions that we had to skip, but it was beyond lovely to be in my Mother-in-Law's care. We mothers aren't usually on the receiving end of that kind of nurturing. It was very healing to be able to sleep in, read a book, flirt with Jonathan... I didn't have to cook, or do any serious cleaning. I even got some relief from Kid-Care duty! That would have been gift enough! But, spoiled as I am, I also got a plethora of other goodies like a new Lap Top & some Pampered Chef tools... All in all, this Christmas gets a very high score on the Holiday Charts.
.jpg)
