O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

Yesterday was a full day of kiddos.  I was bound and determined to get my Christmas tree up and the house decorated yesterday.  Every year I TRY to have the girls, their babies, sometimes the bro-in-law and hubby come and help and I feed them, but this year everyone was going 20-thousand different places and it was not to happen.  BUT, I was going to get it done with the help I had and what wonderful help.  Honestly it was quite fun.  The sparkle in their eyes as they put the ornaments on is priceless.

Snicklefritz is so wonderful with Min.  We had a mini-meltdown when it came time to put the star on.  I honestly won't have any of it but little Snicklefritz is, as her mother says, the Min Whisperer.  She is magical in how she gets her sidetracked or just quieted down.  It was nice to have her helping with all of it yesterday.  Min's parents were in the middle of painting a bedroom and having a 3 year old in the midst of it was a No-GO, so Granny's it was, and she had way more fun.

It has been an exhausting kind of few days but most rewarding for everyone.  She'll be back on Monday as her parents head to OKC for the weekly doctor's appointment.  Sadly Snicklefritz won't be around to help as she is back in school.  I'm sure we will have a lot more of these days when school is out for Christmas break and baby Max arrives.

Think I will have some issues if both girls ever spend the night together as they BOTH like that bed in the pink bedroom!!!  Going to have to figure out a plan if that happens.  I don't want to disappoint either one of them...

 

Melancholia

Good morning.  It's a beautiful morning with the sun blasting through the windows.  Thanksgiving is over and the rush that is Christmas is on.  The past several years I try to get the decorations up the weekend after Turkey day and yesterday the girls, all of them helped to make it happen.  I so appreciate and LOVE my girls, all of my girls.  I am truly blessed.

I just can't physically drag all the boxes and manhandle the tree anymore, at least this year.  Hopefully next year, with a new hip I will be a new woman and able to accomplish.  Not last year and probably not the year before but I have tried to have my sweet MIL, Gloria and bro-in-law and his hubby over for dinner and to help too with this task.  I tried to make it a tradition.  It's sad that this year Gloria is not here to enjoy the season she loved so much.  I could almost hear her humming Christmas carols while choosing the right branch to hang an ornament.  

I fixed spaghetti for all (vegan versions too) and we all ate before the real decorating began.  I have a fully little flashing light necklace that little Min found and ran into the kitchen with it twinkling around her neck saying, "look Granny."  Oh the sparkle in her eye.  She had such a fun time and Snicklefritz is such a huge helper.  She spent the night after everyone went home and we watched the last of Santa Clause 3 before bedtime with a promise of cocoa in the morning with her chocolate chip waffles.  

I just feel so bad that I can't really participate as much as I used to in the decorating but I sat on the walker and hung ornaments to the best of my ability last night.  At one point Af found the stockings and there was the felt one that Momma made me so very many years ago.  She held it up and, "do you want to hang it, I think you should."  OMG, I just choked.  This sadness just fell over me out of nowhere and I started to cry.  I just shook my head no.  I couldn't see it this year.  I seem to really be missing my momma lately, a lot and not sure why.  Could be that with losing my "other" momma that is driving this melancholia.  Plus knowing I may have a surgery coming, hoping I do at least.  I'm also quite aware of the things I just can't do right now.  I want to bake fruitcake, host a Christmas party, shop, wrap presents, DECORATE!  It's just a lot around the holidays I think.  Maybe if I didn't hurt most of the time when I move.  I know it will pass, I just move forward everyday and time does heal.  

What I look forward to is see the babies, their eyes, their love, their joy and awe of the season.  That drives me for sure.  I do love the season and it will be okay.