Traditions and Such

Today is one of those days that I wish I had a private blog so I could just bitch. Thing is I have so little time I have trouble maintaining this blog I can't even think of adding another. So I will take my bitching down a notch to complaining.

Every family has their traditions. Yours may be "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" or gathering on Christmas Eve. Your traditions may have changed as you got married and began your own family.

Right now we are experiencing "Traditional" growing pains. Both Doug & I still have grandparents on both sides of our family; two grandmothers for him, one grandmother and one complete set for me. We do our best to see everyone during the year and try really hard for the holidays. For the most part it works. Most festivities are not held on the actual holiday. Except one. One grandmother has the Christmas gathering on Christmas Day.

This has caused a problem as we spend Christmas Day at home. I made the mistake of pointing out that it isn't "always on Christmas Day"- last year it was on Friday the 23rd- and got the reply of, "It IS always on Christmas Day and it works for everyone. We aren't going to change it for you." Ouch. I didn't ask that it be changed; I only said that Christmas Day doesn't work for us as we are building our own traditions. (Plus we have two small children and live 2 hours away. Hmmm, leave by 3- interrupting nap time- to be there at 5, leave at 8 - to be home at a "decent" time-, have kids fall asleep in car to be awakened at 10 when we get home and then fight to get them back to sleep. I don't think so.)

Anyway, now we are the "bad guys" who are ruining Christmas. That bothers me as I truly want to please people. But my "bite my ass" side is coming out. Next year we will skip the drawing of names and I will just announce, to everyone at the same time, that Christmas Day is for our family, at home, safe from snowy roads and holiday drivers.

Then I can get the cut direct- the cut by phone annoys me.