Who Knew? continued...

(subcaption) Christmas Traditions

I have survived and no longer look like teary eyed monster at Halloween. I didn't even know they made eye drops with an antibiotic in it. Who knew? The ophthalmologist of course! The good news is that I don't look half bad if…wait for it…wait for it…

... I don't ever wear eye makeup again…

Okay doc, (I'm snarling at this point) what woman in her right mind willingly forgoes makeup? If you think I will willingly walk this line… check out my photo folks. The blonde isn't from a bottle which means that without makeup I'm totally prepared for Halloween!

Scary!!!!!!

So, the second Saturday in December and the same son that I mention in my last entry is into building Christmas traditions. I stopped and asked myself why…

…Because I never had the energy and we never stayed in one place long enough to do that for him and his younger siblings… for example: This year we will be lucky to find a place to put a tree in our archaically teeny tiny apartment. Thus the cabin fever of rearrange furniture the day after Thanksgiving.

Back to the tradition the son wants to build last Saturday. Every year since he got married, he and his wife have invited us to go with them to cut a tree and do holiday shopping. This is a toughy for me because I have had a rather large fake tree. So why go get another tree? And I try to do my shopping earlier in the year or at least earlier in the season. But the younger children have joined them, as has their dad a time or two. I stay home and wrap presents I've tucked away and bake. This year the outing hit a few snags.

Snag #1: I am house bound right? I have done absolutely no shopping I have no energy, again. This isn't a surprise. A bummer, but no surprise.

Snag #2: Dad has a wicked cold brewing and since he works outside, whether it rains or shines, he opted to stay home.

Snag #3: Teenage daughter has a life of her own filled with her friends and many activities, not the least of which is dinner and a hockey game on nearly every Saturday during hockey season.
Snag #4: Youngest has put off his opportunities to earn money for Christmas shopping.

(We insist that we not just give him money to go spend on us…for some reason that doesn't feel right. I'd much prefer to buy what I want or need rather than the pounds of Christmas candy that he seems to put under the tree every year in order that we may share with him…)

Question: Is it really safe to unleash an active pre-teen on an unsuspecting couple that have no intentions of having their own child in the near future? Hmm…I wonder if their decision has anything to do with the same participants and a camping fiasco last summer?

(Another story , another time, and another author as I was not there…obviously…)

Hmm…would this tale be better served by one actually present? Maybe. But this time the answer to "Who Knew?" is ME…

…This is why the only Christmas tradition that has survived our marriage is… No Traditions…

Actually the children went and had an enjoyable time. the report on the shopping is that they didn't find anything worth buying for Mom and Dad. And the cut tree is reclining against the wall in the son's garage. They've been too busy with holiday parties to even put it inside. ...Ah to be young again...

Happy Holidays!