Top 10 of 2010

Our favorite family moments and events of the year, in chronological order:

1. We hunted for Easter eggs in our own front yard for the first time. (April)

2. We welcomed Spring with a family fishing trip. (April)

3. We watched James “march, march, march” in several local parades. (May)

4. We helped James shop for a motorcycle for his birthday. (June)

5. We rooted for the home team at a Valley Cats baseball game. (July)

6. We welcomed Jonathan Ryan into the family. (July)

7. We spent a beautiful day at the Washington County Fair. (August)

8. We brought home another new family member, Beast the Boston Terrier puppy. (October)

9.We went apple picking and pumpkin patching. (September & October)

10. We treasured a joyful Christmas together. (December)

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December Birthday Blues

To calculate the number of times you’ve heard me complain about my birthday take the number of years you’ve known me and multiply it by the number of times that birthdays and/ or birthday parties have come up in conversation during each year. Now take that number and add one….Because you’re about to hear it again.

I was born on December 26^th, better known as the day after Christmas, and it’s the one thing about myself that causes me the most grief (yes, even more than my bushy, uncontrollable, wolf-woman eyebrows). If I had to guess why it bothers me so much I would say it stems from growing up in a family of seven. When you have four siblings there are very few things in life that are just for you. All five of us kids shared a bedroom and all seven of us shared one bathroom. We shared toys, we often shared clothes, and we even shared friends. We had no say in what we ate for dinner and what to watch on TV was decided by the group as a whole. But birthdays were the one exception. On our birthday we would get to pick whatever we wanted for dinner and could choose what type of cake to have. For that one day our new toys were ours alone. From this I came to believe that a person should always feel special on his/ her birthday.

But when your birthday is December 26^th you rarely get that honor. The entire Western world is completely preoccupied with Christmas from the end of November until the third week in December and amidst the holiday hustle and bustle it’s easy to forget a birthday that isn’t THE birthday. Therefore, during the one time of the year that should be my special time, I become a mere afterthought. Gifts tend to be skimpy or non-existent because everyone’s budget is consumed by Christmas expenditures. People wrap my presents in Christmas wrapping paper or, if I’m lucky, they’ll wrap them in inside-out wrapping paper and write “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” on the white backdrop. Often times people try to give me a “two-in-one” gift, claiming that the present is for Christmas and my birthday combined. (I see right through you, people. I know you just forgot or are too cheap to buy two!) It’s not that I’m preoccupied with getting things. What’s important here is not the gift, but it’s the lack of effort and thoughtfulness shown by such a poor display. If your birthday falls in any other month of the year then people go out and buy a roll of birthday paper specifically for you, but if you’re unlucky enough to have been born in December you have to settle for reindeer printed remnants.

 

Another negative aspect of having a December birthday is that throwing a party is almost impossible. I haven’t had a real birthday party since I was six years old. People are always busy during the Christmas season, spending time with their families and traveling out of town to see relatives. At any other time of the year people might be willing to make special arrangements to ensure their attendance at a friend’s party, but not in December. Christmas is the premier holiday and everything else pales in comparison. I’m not in any way trying to say that my birthday should come before the celebration of Christ’s birth. All I’m saying is that it really sucks to have to compare your own importance to that of the Alpha & Omega and realize, on a yearly basis, that you have no chance of ever coming close.

As you can tell, I am far from finding the key to overcoming the birthday blues. I think it might be a mix between having really low expectations and really great family and friends who are willing to go out of their way on my account. Even if it takes me until the year I turn 80, I am determined to tackle this beast. I might just have to take matters into my own hands and throw myself a huge birthday bash bonanza with balloons, streamers, confetti, banners, a seven layer chocolate cake, and presents all wrapped in brightly colored birthday paper. If I expect any friends to attend I know I’d better give enough advance notice for them to cancel their Christmas plans. So save the date for December 26^th, 2062!

Our Christmas BANG!

When I think of the phrase, “go out with a bang,” I picture the fireworks spectacular at Disneyland. Every night at dark thousands of guests, young and old, gather along Main Street USA in eager anticipation to see a show with the magic and grandeur that only Disney can produce. The fireworks light up the sky in coordination with orchestral music blasting out of the park’s loud speakers. The show starts out with a light and whimsical dance and the fireworks explode with a POP! here, a WHIZ! there, and then a CRACKLE! At first they are simple; the type you would find at any everyday show. But then the music tempo quickens and big, uniquely shaped bursts will explode above with a large BOOM! Everyone cheers. Eventually the show draws to a close and the grand finale is a pyrotechnic display beyond comparison. The music is intense and powerful and fireworks of all shapes, sizes, and colors burst in the dark sky with a jaw-dropping BANG, BANG, BANG!

Disneyland’s fireworks show is a lot like our last 10 days together. We shared many common, ordinary moments together, with some special ones mixed in between, and the week eventually culminated into a spectacular Christmas day.

We spent a lot of our last week and a half together going about business as usual- I did the extra cooking, dishes, and laundry that went along with having an extra adult in the house, James fixed some odds and ends that were demanding his attention. But we also made sure to spend some time making memories together- We spent some quality one-on-one time with each of the kids, James and I spent some quality time with each other when went to dinner one night. One of my favorite times was when we all (including Johnny!) got outside and played in the snow.

We spent most of Christmas Eve preparing a large feast. James and I worked together in the kitchen all day and made turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, candied yams, corn, dinner rolls, and of course, pie.

Then, after our bellies were full, we retreated to the living room and enjoyed a Christmas movie with the kids. After we’d dressed them in their matching snowman pjs and sent them to bed we began playing Santa. I was in charge of filling the stockings and James worked hard to build the train table set for the kids.

Johnny must have sensed the excitement in the house because he refused to fall asleep. He kept James and me company for the two hours that we spent preparing for Christmas.

By 10:30 we were all nestled snugly in our beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads.

Christmas Day was a thrill from beginning to end. The kids had a great time opening presents and James and I loved watching them get excited about the toys we’d chosen for them. There wasn’t any fighting (and whenever Jamie is involved in an activity, that‘s saying a lot!). They took turns ripping open their gifts, waited patiently when it was Mommy and Daddy’s turn, and helped Johnny open his packages.

 

 

Opening our presents only took an hour and we spent most of the rest of the day playing with all the new goodies.

 

 

 In the afternoon we all watched the Phineas and Ferb Christmas Special: A Very Perry Christmas. After eating a dinner of left-overs and stocking candy, everyone played some Wii games together. Soon thereafter it was off to bed.

In retrospect, Christmas was the perfect ending to our time together. Ordinarily a week like this would sputter out and close with a dark and dismal end. But instead our entire week was spent in eager anticipation of this special day and when the day finally came it was full of laughter and joy. We made memories to sustain us through the next seven months, and then some. Saying good-bye to James the next morning was tearful but all-in-all I was so happy that he was able to go out with a big Christmas BANG!, in true Disney fashion.