November 18, 2012

  • Oh All The Plans For Thanksgiving That Go On....

    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    In a way, holidays are a nightmare for couples, especially those with kids.  There are two sets of parents (or grandparents) and it means trying to keep both sides happy on a holiday so there's getting one to plan an early dinner and the other to have theirs later.  Actually, most parents or grandparents realize this and plan accordingly. 

    So, the kids are either eating TWO dinners on the same day or, if they are lucky like OURS are this year, they are getting to celebrate it on different days.  Hopefully, they won't get too tired of the menu which will probably be very much alike, with just a slight variation in side dishes and/or taste. 

    It seems that the Princess and family are making the trip to Nashville along with my other granddaughter that lives here in Alabama now that she's married (Aimee and husband).  Chewlee is all excited because she said she is *going to have a sleepover at her aunt and uncle's house with her cousins!*  My DIL, Raven, is having an early Thanksgiving for the family.  I gather they are leaving early which will more than likely allow the girls to help Raven with the meal.  That's a fun time while the guys do whatever keeps them entertained and out from underfoot.  That will allow them to have a regular Thanksgiving dinner with the hubby's family.  In the Princess's case, they will be having it with Johnnycake's grandmother (and that will probably be the same with Aimee's hubby's family.  I think the grandmother is the real matriarch there.  She's a sweetheart.)  Then it is MY turn.  I agreed to have a late holiday dinner.  The Princess says it would need to be early because Johnnycakes works on both weekend days.  **Sigh**  Tara has decided she is going to take the four-day weekend and have no schedules at all.  She just wants to lock her doors and spend it with her two boys, alone, just cooking things they all like to eat and it may not even include a turkey.  Tara told me she is going up to Ohio at Christmas to spend it with the kids relatives there (and some good friends) and have Christmas with her daughter and son that live with their grandparents and father. 

    Since the Beast won't be celebrating Christmas this year, I will be setting up my little tree in my computer room and will decorate it for the Holiday.  But, if you've read this blog for any length of time, you already know he's always been *bah! humbug!* for pretty much any holiday but especially Christmas.  Of course, he's never happy when it comes to giving a gift for any reason.  He loves buying things for himself and, if we both need something (like new desks, chairs, anything..) HE comes first and always gets the BEST.  Me?  I get cheap...always, always.  It's one of the reasons my kids INSIST I have to outlive him.  That way, I win. 

    My needs are relatively simple.  I don't need the latest and the best of everything like HE does.  In fact, I've been that way my whole life.  When you are the oldest of seven kids, you learn that a $$ can only stretch SOOO far.  When we first married, I was always shopping at sales and/or resale shops.  There's just something about spending recklessly that makes my skin crawl.  It hasn't endeared the Beast to me over the years, especially when it came to our kids.  But that's another story entirely.  We're married 48 years now so I'm used to his excesses when it comes to him.

    I DO have plans that will probably make the Beast's teeth vibrate.  I will be decorating the fir tree under our bedroom window with solar powered Christmas tree lights.    He will HATE that.  The tree is such a beautiful shape.  It's actually the perfect Christmas tree.  We planted it when we first bought the house six years ago and it's kept its shape during all the years.  It's only needed the occasional snip here and there.   I bought the solar lights for it last year and they were so pretty.  I just wanted to kick myself for not buying one or two more of the strands because they only have 25 lights on each strand.  That way the solar *panel* needed isn't large and really obvious.  Oh well.

    Love you all.  Hope you all had a great weekend and an even better week.  Remember to be careful driving.