I have thought that I need to add a blog for the last several weeks but there simply have not been the time. With all that is going on that was just one “to do” that I was able to set aside and not worry about it. Until tonight. So far the holidays have been on slightly less awful than I was afraid of. I determined to just let the holiday season happen and not worry if it was up to “standards.” My four girls started showing up a week before I expected and I was not amused at the lack of support that I was getting. So I withdrew as necessary and decided I had done enough for everyone else. Not worrying about what all the kids felt about Christmas was a HUGE load off of me. All I had to please was myself.

I laid in disposable plates etc. as well as paper goods and a baseline of pantry supplies. I told the girls I was going to do no more and pretty much held to that. For a change the kitchen stayed in relatively acceptable condition. I outline what cookware they were allowed to use and so nothing of importance got ruined. Overall it was a good plan. I also allowed the kids to come up with entertainment on their own. Another load off my to-do list. The only one dumb enough to complain of being bored was my nine year old granddaughter and she learned real fast not to say that to grandma!!

I picked Dick up on Christmas Eve as planned. We traditionally do our presents that night so we were ready to go to church Christmas morning. From there we went to dinner at a new Japanese Sushi buffet. Even though they decided to up the price that day dinner for nine still was cheaper than anything we could do a home. And they washed the dishes! Dick stayed until Monday evening. He didn’t like returning but didn’t make too much of a fuss.

I don’t usually bring him home for New Years but this year signed him up just in case. My health has been taking and expected nose dive and I woke up this morning feeling like I had taken a bottle of pills. In truth drugs do not generally have that big of effect on me and have no idea where this feeling has come from because I am not even taking all my prescriptions. Still there was a perverse part of me that decided to ignore all the pain and weird feelings today and I picked Dick up early this evening.

I am SOOOO thankful that I did. I plunked him in front of a classic movie on the sofa and curled up next to him. For some reason this has been the best day of the holiday. I have been in a half doze half the time but quite content. We have a bottle of bubbly for midnight but my oldest decided to go out for more holiday spirits at the last minute. I pulled Dick and my PJs on just in case we need to just fall into bed after the cocktails taking the bedtime pressure off myself. Now all we have to do is cuddle together and listen to the twenties music that my youngest just brought home from Starbucks while we sip our drinks and allow the kids to bring us treats to eat every once in a while. Guess this is really what it is all about.

One daughter left last night another leaves tomorrow and the last of the out of town kids leave on Monday. I imagine the memory we all will recall years from now is four generations trying to sing with Cab Calloway together! This year has ended on a positive which will carry over to the beginning of 2012. I know that the new year will bring new challengers (all ready one funeral scheduled) but I have learned a lot from my simple Christmas this year.